Niels Stensen and the discovery of the parotid duct / Niels Stensen y el descubrimiento del conducto parotídeo

Niels Stensen was a renowned Danish scientist, theologian and Catholic bishop. Stensen's early career was devoted to anatomy and it is in this discipline that he made many important contributions. His method in anatomy was rooted in systematic observations based on meticulously executed dissections of human and animal cadavers, as well as experiments on animals. His first important discovery in the field of anatomy, which is the main focus of this paper, was the discovery of the parotid duct. The discovery brought Stensen recognition and fame but only after a controversy in which he was accused of plagiarism by his mentor Gerard Blaes. Although still in an early stage of his career Stensen dealt with the accusation masterfully, producing further research which confirmed him as the discoverer of the parotid duct.

Niels Stensen fue un renombrado científico danés, obispo y teólogo católico. A principios de su carrera Stensen se dedicó a la anatomía, disciplina en la cual logró muchas contribuciones importantes. Su método de anatomía se fundamentaba en observaciones sistemáticas basadas en disecciones de cadáveres humanos y de animales ejecutadas meticulosamente, así como los experimentos con animales. Su primer descubrimiento importante en el campo de la anatomía, que constituye el tema principal de este trabajo, fue el descubrimiento del conducto parotídeo. El descubrimiento le trajo el reconocimiento y fama a Stensen, pero sólo después de una polémica en la que se le acusaba de plagio por su mentor Gerard Blaes. A pesar de haber estado en una etapa temprana de su carrera, Stensen se hizo cargo de la acusación con maestría, produciendo una mayor investigación que lo confirma como el descubridor del conducto parotídeo.

An unusually located human accessory parotid gland: a case report

The parotid gland is one of the most important major salivary gland in human beings. Often a small detached accessory gland lying away from the main parotid duct, known as the accessory parotid gland (APG) may be found in individuals. In the present work, an interesting case of APG in a 54 year old male cadaver, is being reported. This APG was located below the main parotid duct and related to the buccal branch of the facial nerve on its surface. The five to six ductules connected the gland to the main parotid duct. The triangular shaped APG was located at a distance of 2.9 cm from the angle of the mouth. It should be pointed out that the APG may be related to congenital developmental anomalies and may also be a site of tumors, and that anatomical knowledge of the APG may be important for performing sialographic studies and surgeries on the face.