Sublingual gland

The sublingual gland is the smallest of the three major paired salivary glands. It is predominantly a mucous-secreting gland. The sublingual gland is located in the floor of the mouth beneath the mucous membrane, at the side of the frenulum of tongue. It lies within the sublingual fossa on the medial surface of the mandible, superior to the mylohyoid muscle.

The sublingual gland is almond-shaped and lies between the mandible (sublingual fossa) laterally and the genioglossus muscle medially; being separated from the genioglossus by the lingual nerve and the submandibular duct. Superiorly, it elevates the oral mucosa to form the sublingual fold. Behind it, lies the deep part of the submandibular gland.

Drainage of sublingual gland - minor and major ducts

The sublingual gland drains through numerous small ducts called the ducts of Rivinus, which open along the sublingual fold, while some secretions may drain through a larger duct, the major sublingual duct (duct of Bartholin), which may join the submandibular duct.

Innervation and vasculature

The sublingual gland receives parasympathetic secretomotor fibres from the facial nerve (CN VII) via the chorda tympani, which reach the gland via the submandibular ganglion and lingual nerve.

Blood supply is mainly from the sublingual and submental arteries, which are branches of lingual and facial artery, respectively, which in turn come from the external carotid artery. The sublingual vein drains into the lingual vein, which then pours into the internal jugular vein.

Clinical correlate

Obstruction or rupture of sublingual ducts may produce a ranula, a mucus-filled cystic swelling in the floor of the mouth.