The sublingual gland is the smallest of the three major salivary glands, an almond-shaped gland lying in the floor of the mouth under the tongue, just beneath the mucosa. Instead of one main duct it opens through many small ducts along the sublingual fold, and its saliva is mostly mucous.
| Location | Floor of the mouth, between the mandible and genioglossus, above the mylohyoid and beneath the sublingual fold |
|---|---|
| Secretes |
|
| Nerve Supply | Chorda tympani via the lingual nerve and submandibular ganglion (parasympathetic secretomotor) |
| Blood Supply | Sublingual artery (from the lingual artery); Submental artery |
| Venous drainage |
|
| Lymphatic drainage |
Adds a small volume of thick mucous saliva that lubricates the mouth and food.
Blockage or rupture of a sublingual duct causes a ranula, a bluish cystic swelling in the floor of the mouth; a 'plunging' ranula extends through or around the mylohyoid into the neck. Treatment usually requires removal of the sublingual gland. Tumours here are rare but more often malignant than parotid tumours.
A mucus extravasation cyst from the sublingual gland forming a translucent swelling under the tongue, sometimes extending into the neck.
Rare tumours, a high proportion of which are malignant, such as adenoid cystic carcinoma.
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