Relationship Between the Facial Artery and Sub Mandibular Salivary Gland.

Different radiological methods can be used for visualization of cystic duct and its variations. It can be optimally and directly visualized with cholangiography. Unrecognized abnormality of the biliary aparatus may cause confusion on imaging studies and complicate subsequent surgical treatment. Malignancy or inflammatory processes can be secondarily involving the cystic duct. The cystic duct may be primarily involved by calculous disease, neoplasia, fistula, biliary obstruction and sclerosing cholangitis. If a portion of cystic duct is left behind during cholecystectomy many complications may be seen postoperatively. These complications include leakage and stones in cystic duct. Redundant cystic duct, impacted cystic duct stone or a tortuous cystic duct may confuse with a mass or tumor. So accurate diagnosis can familiarize the physicians and surgeon with the imaging appearance of anatomical variation of cystic duct and its related disease processes.

Relationship Between the Facial Artery and Sub Mandibular Salivary Gland.

Knowledge of relationship between the facial artery and submandibular salivary gland is essential for the surgeon operating in the submandibular region. This study has been under taken to have the knowledge of this relationship. Submandibular region has been dissected on 20 male cadavers in the Department of Anatomy, Sree Narayana Institute of Medical Sciences, Kerala. The course of the facial artery and its relationship to submandibular salivary gland has been followed carefully. The standard description of ascent of the facial artery along the entire length of posterior border of the submandibular salivary gland was seen in 15 out of the 20 sides studied. In 4 out of 20 sides dissected the facial artery reached only the upper part of the posterior border of the gland. The facial artery arose high on the external carotid artery near the angle of the mandible in one specimen. It reached the gland only at its postero-superior angle, pierced through the gland and emerged on the upper part of the lateral surface of the gland. Our study shows that only 1/5 of instances facial artery courses along the posterior border of the gland. In 4/5 of instances it reaches only the upper part of the posterior border.