Arrows point to a soft tissue mass on the floor of the mouth. This is indicative of the opening of which duct?

Arrows point to a soft tissue mass on the floor of the mouth. This is indicative of the opening of which duct?

• A. Stenson's duct
• B. Sublingual salivary gland
• C. Wharton's duct
• D. Parotid duct

Answer: (C)

The presence of a soft tissue mass on the floor of the mouth, particularly when arrows indicate its location, is most commonly associated with the opening of Wharton's duct. This duct is the main duct of the submandibular gland and opens into the oral cavity at the sublingual caruncles, located on either side of the frenulum under the tongue. The sublingual area, where this mass is located, serves as a key anatomical site for the drainage of saliva from the submandibular glands through Wharton's duct. When examining this area, any swelling or mass can often be directly related to issues associated with saliva drainage, such as duct inflammation, stones, or other conditions impacting the salivary glands. In contrast, the other ducts mentioned are associated with different anatomical structures. Stenson's duct is related to the parotid gland, which drains saliva near the second molar in the upper jaw, and would not be visualized as a mass in the floor of the mouth. The sublingual salivary glands do contribute to saliva production, but they open directly into the floor of the mouth with multiple small ducts rather than a single defined duct like Wharton's. The parotid duct operates

The presence of a soft tissue mass on the floor of the mouth, particularly when arrows indicate its location, is most commonly associated with the opening of Wharton's duct. This duct is the main duct of the submandibular gland and opens into the oral cavity at the sublingual caruncles, located on either side of the frenulum under the tongue.

The sublingual area, where this mass is located, serves as a key anatomical site for the drainage of saliva from the submandibular glands through Wharton's duct. When examining this area, any swelling or mass can often be directly related to issues associated with saliva drainage, such as duct inflammation, stones, or other conditions impacting the salivary glands.

In contrast, the other ducts mentioned are associated with different anatomical structures. Stenson's duct is related to the parotid gland, which drains saliva near the second molar in the upper jaw, and would not be visualized as a mass in the floor of the mouth. The sublingual salivary glands do contribute to saliva production, but they open directly into the floor of the mouth with multiple small ducts rather than a single defined duct like Wharton's. The parotid duct operates