The researchers said the newly discovered glands are likely to be used to lubricate the upper throat
Earlier, experts thought that there were only microscopic salivary glands inside the nasopharynx behind the nose, but researchers at the Dutch Cancer Institute have discovered a new set of salivary glands almost 2 centimeters long.
The newly discovered glands were called tubular salivary glands because of their position over a part of the cartilage called the torus tubarius. During a PSMA PET-CT scan, doctors inject a radioactive “trace” into the patient. This tracer binds well to the PSMA protein which is elevated in prostate cancer cells and is also very good at detecting salivary gland tissue.
The researchers said the newly discovered glands are likely to be used to lubricate the upper throat behind the nose and mouth, writes A News Magazine To confirm their discovery, the scientists examined 100 patients and found that they all had those glands, and they also dissected the area of ​​the nasopharynx of two bodies and the results were the same.
