SU19.1-2,SU20.1-2,SU21.1-2 | Face, Mouth, Oropharynx and Salivary Glands — Glossary

A malignant salivary tumour notorious for perineural spread, late recurrence and distant metastasis.

Grafting of cancellous bone into the alveolar cleft in the mixed-dentition years (~8-11) to support erupting teeth and arch continuity.

Surgical repair of the cleft lip, usually at around 3 months, restoring a continuous orbicularis oris muscle and lip aesthetics (e.g. Millard rotation-advancement).

A congenital gap in the upper lip from failed fusion of the medial nasal and maxillary processes, involving the lip and primary palate; may be unilateral or bilateral, complete or incomplete.

A congenital gap in the palate from failed fusion of the palatal shelves of the secondary palate (posterior to the incisive foramen).

A red velvety patch of the oral mucosa; a premalignant lesion with a substantially higher risk of malignant transformation than leukoplakia.

The cranial nerve that emerges from the stylomastoid foramen and runs through the parotid gland; its preservation defines parotid surgery, and its palsy with a parotid mass suggests malignancy.

Gustatory sweating and flushing over the parotid region after parotidectomy, due to aberrant reinnervation of sweat glands by parasympathetic fibres.

Human papillomavirus type 16, an oncogenic virus associated with oropharyngeal SCC, typically in younger non-smokers and carrying a better prognosis.

The midline anatomical landmark that divides the primary palate (anterior) from the secondary palate (posterior) and organises the classification of clefts.

A white patch of the oral mucosa that cannot be wiped off or attributed to another disease; a premalignant lesion with a definite but relatively low risk of malignant transformation.

The commonest malignant salivary gland tumour, of variable grade, most often in the parotid.

Surgical removal of the cervical lymph nodes to treat or stage nodal metastasis in head and neck cancer.

A chronic, progressive premalignant condition strongly linked to areca-nut chewing, causing mucosal fibrosis, burning and progressive trismus.

Surgical repair of the cleft palate at around 6-12 months, before connected speech, closing the cleft in layers and reconstructing the soft-palate muscle sling for velopharyngeal competence.

Endoscopic examination of the oral cavity, pharynx, larynx and oesophagus under anaesthesia to exclude a synchronous second primary tumour and assess the airway.

The largest salivary gland, lying in front of and below the ear; the facial nerve passes through it, dividing it into superficial and deep lobes.

A syndromic association of micrognathia (small jaw), glossoptosis (backward tongue) and cleft palate, important because of the risk of airway obstruction.

The commonest salivary neoplasm; a benign tumour with pseudopodia through a false capsule that recurs if enucleated and may undergo malignant change, treated by superficial parotidectomy.

The lip, alveolus and hard palate anterior to the incisive foramen, formed from the medial nasal and maxillary processes.

Ear pain arising from a tongue or oropharyngeal lesion via shared sensory innervation; a clue to oral/oropharyngeal malignancy.

The classic fitness criteria for cleft lip repair: approximately 10 weeks of age, 10 pounds (≈4.5 kg) body weight and a haemoglobin of about 10 g/dL.

The hard and soft palate posterior to the incisive foramen, formed by fusion of the two palatal shelves.

Inflammation of a salivary gland; acute bacterial parotitis affects the dehydrated/debilitated, while viral parotitis (mumps) causes bilateral parotid swelling in children.

Salivary duct stone formation, mostly in the submandibular system, causing painful mealtime swelling and predisposing to infection.

The commonest (>90%) malignancy of the oral cavity and oropharynx, arising from the squamous mucosal epithelium.

The duct of the parotid gland, opening into the mouth opposite the upper second molar.

Removal of the superficial lobe of the parotid with identification and preservation of the facial nerve; the standard operation for benign superficial-lobe tumours.

The system describing the primary Tumour, regional lymph Nodes and distant Metastasis, used to stage cancer and direct treatment and prognosis.

The combined diagnostic approach of clinical examination, imaging and tissue diagnosis (biopsy/cytology) used to evaluate a suspected cancer.

Restricted opening of the mouth, caused in this context by oral submucous fibrosis or by tumour involvement of the muscles of mastication.

Failure of the soft palate to seal the nasopharynx during speech, producing hypernasal, unintelligible speech; a key target of palate repair and secondary speech surgery.

A benign parotid tumour characteristically seen in older male smokers, sometimes bilateral.

The duct of the submandibular gland; its uphill, anti-gravity course through mucin-rich saliva explains why most salivary stones are submandibular.