Oncologists from the Netherlands have discovered new glands within the human face which they’ve dubbed tubarial glands. The research is published in the peer reviewed journal Radiotherapy and Oncology.
Seeking to learn more about cancer processes in the head and neck, researchers used scans with radioactive glucose which “highlighted” certain areas of the body.
They made use of positron emission tomography and computed tomography scans.
The oncologists scanned around 100 patients and cadavers and to their surprise, certain area of the face continued to glow. At first they decided that it was some kind of anomaly, but further investigation revealed that they were dealing with a whole new part of the human body.
The tubarial glands take part in the production of saliva within the mouth. The new organ is roughly the same size as the three main salivary glands. However, they are located on either side of the nasopharynx.
