Advanced Salivary Glands Quiz

Q1. Why are salivary stones especially common in the submandibular duct?

• It has no parasympathetic innervation
• Its duct opens directly into the pharynx
• Its secretion is produced only during sleep
• Its long ascending duct and relatively viscous, mineral-rich secretion favor stasis and calculus formation

Q2. Why is the facial nerve at risk during parotid surgery?

• It supplies the parotid acini directly
• It passes through the sublingual caruncle
• It lies within the submandibular duct
• It branches within the parotid gland

Q3. Why does injury to the lingual nerve near the submandibular duct potentially affect salivary secretion?

• The lingual nerve supplies the parotid through the otic ganglion
• The lingual nerve carries chorda tympani secretomotor fibers toward the submandibular ganglion
• The nerve directly innervates salivary acinar smooth muscle
• The lingual nerve itself is the preganglionic parasympathetic origin

Q4. Why can a stone in the distal submandibular duct cause pain that worsens around meals?

• Chewing compresses the thyroid gland
• Food blocks the pharyngotympanic tube
• The facial nerve contracts the calculus
• Stimulated secretion increases pressure behind the obstruction

Q5. Why can parotid inflammation cause marked pain when the gland swells?

• Its dense fascial enclosure limits expansion
• The parotid duct contains skeletal muscle
• The gland lies inside the cranial cavity
• The gland is surrounded by bone on all sides

Q6. Why can a lesion of the glossopharyngeal parasympathetic pathway reduce parotid secretion without paralyzing facial expression?

• The parotid has no autonomic supply
• Parotid secretomotor and facial motor functions travel through different cranial nerve pathways
• Both functions are carried exclusively by the vagus nerve
• Facial expression is controlled by the hypoglossal nerve

Q7. Why can sublingual gland pathology present as swelling in the floor of the mouth?

• The gland lies within the carotid sheath
• The gland occupies the tonsillar fossa
• The gland lies directly beneath the floor-of-mouth mucosa above mylohyoid
• The gland lies inside the mandibular canal

Q8. What anatomical feature explains how a ranula can extend from the sublingual region into the neck?

• The sublingual duct opens into the carotid sheath
• The parotid duct connects directly to the neck
• The lesion passes through the foramen magnum
• Mucus can pass around or through mylohyoid into the submandibular space

Q9. Why must surgery in the submandibular region account for both the lingual and hypoglossal nerves?

• Both nerves traverse the floor-of-mouth region near the deep gland and duct
• Both nerves run inside the submandibular duct
• Both nerves provide all parasympathetic supply to the gland
• Both nerves enter the gland through the parotid plexus

Q10. Which statement best integrates the autonomic anatomy of the major salivary glands?

• All major glands synapse in the pterygopalatine ganglion
• Parotid and submandibular-sublingual glands use distinct cranial parasympathetic pathways and ganglia
• All major glands receive preganglionic fibers through the hypoglossal nerve
• The facial nerve directly supplies all salivary glands without peripheral ganglia