Key Points Somatosensory innervation of the oral cavity is provided by cranial nerve V (trigeminal nerve), second and third divisions, and cranial nerve IX (glossopharyngeal nerve): (1) V2—maxillary, hard, and soft palates; oral mucosa of the maxillary vestibule; and maxillary…
Key Points Salivary gland malignancies are diverse and heterogeneous. Their behavior and resulting clinical management are highly dependent on their histologic type and, often, their grade. High-grade histologic types include high-grade mucoepidermoid carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, undifferentiated carcinoma, high-grade adenocarcinoma…
Key Points Salivary gland neoplasms are uncommon, representing less than 4% of all head and neck neoplasms. Most salivary gland neoplasms occur within the parotid gland, of which approximately 80% are benign in adults. 50% of submandibular gland and 20%…
Key Points Sialadenitis, most commonly caused by sialolithiasis, should be treated medically in the acute care setting with warm compresses, sialogogues, hydration, and antibiotics. Chronic or persistent disease may require minimally invasive sialendoscopy for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. Sialendoscopic techniques…
Key Points Computed tomography is the modality of choice for patients with inflammatory disorders of the salivary glands. Magnetic resonance imaging is the modality of choice for patients with a palpable lesion or expected neoplasm of the salivary glands. Ultrasound…
Key Points Importantly, our current understanding of salivary gland physiology is largely derived from the study of nonhuman salivary glands. Saliva is a complex mixture of electrolytes and macromolecules secreted from three pairs of major salivary glands and numerous minor…
Key Points The incidence of melanoma continues to increase at epidemic proportions. Warning signs for melanoma include lesion asymmetry, border irregularity, color variation, diameter greater than 6 mm, and evolving changes. A subset of cancers—such as nodular, amelanotic, and desmoplastic melanoma—lack…
Key Points The goal of palliative care is to provide relief of suffering regardless of life expectancy or treatment status. Palliative care requires a multidisciplinary approach to address the physical, emotional, and spiritual distress that a patient may be experiencing.…
Key Points Free tissue transfer involves auto-transplantation of skin, soft tissue, muscle, or bone isolated on a supporting vascular supply. Although more than 40 donor sites for free tissue transfer have been described, forearm, fibula, scapula, and anterolateral thigh flaps…
Key Points Flap survival depends on adequate perfusion to meet the metabolic demands of the mobilized tissue. The primary insult that affects flap survival is impaired vascular supply and the resultant ischemia. Flap survival is the rule in the majority…