Head and Neck Imaging

Wharton's duct

(Thomas Wharton, 1614 - 1673, English physician and anatomist), duct of the submandibular gland, originating from the hilum of the submandibular gland at the posterior margin of the mylohyoid muscle, running through the sublingual space and opening into the anterior floor of the mouth on the sublingual papilla. The most common pathology of Wharton's duct is sialolithiasis. Obstruction of the duct may cause retro-obstructive sialadenitis; this is sometimes also seen with squamous cell carcinoma head and neck in the floor of the mouth, compressing or invading Wharton's duct (Fig.1).

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Fig.1

Axial gadolinium-enhanced spin-echo image. Small tumoral lesion in the anterior floor of the mouth (arrowheads) causes obstruction and dilatation of Wharton's duct (white arrow). Retro-obstructive sialadenitis of submandibular gland (black arrow); this was clinically misinterpreted as metastatic lymphadenopathy. Some dilated intraglandular salivary ducts are visible.
Wharton's duct, Fig.1