Juxtaoral organ: an anatomical finding to be considered
Abstract
The juxtaoral organ (JOO) is a vestigial anatomical structure which is not usually described in lectures and classic texts of general histology and oral histology, despite it being included in the “Terminologia Histologica: International terms for human cytology and histology”. Although there is evidence about its histological structure, there are no macroscopic anatomical reports about it. We report the finding of a structure of glandular macroscopic appearance in a horizontal section of a plastinated human head belonging to the Morphology Laboratory of the Department of Biomedical Basic Sciences at the University of Talca. Due to its location, dimensions and anatomical relations, we determined it to be the JOO. Using a digital calliper, we measured the anteroposterior and transverse dimensions of the JOO and observed its anatomical relationships with neighbouring structures of clinical relevance. We conclude that the JOO is relevant to surgical practice due to its anatomical relations with relevant structures such as inferior third molar and lingual nerve. Its clinical application lies in the differential diagnosis with invasive processes of malignant neoplasia originating in the oral cavity.
Keywords: diagnostic errorsdifferential diagnosismouth neoplasmsjuxtaoral organ
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