Heterotopic salivary gland tissue is the presence of salivary gland tissue outside the normal expected salivary gland (major salivary gland and minor salivary gland) or accessory salivary gland.
It is also often referred to as salivary gland choristoma or ectopic salivary gland 1. In heterotopic salivary gland tissue, there is no duct system to drain the salivary gland tissue. It can be associated with a branchial cleft cyst or without any association with a branchial cleft cyst (true heterotopic salivary gland tissue) 2. It is commonly seen in the head and neck, including the middle ear, external ear, and mandible 1,2.
Clinical presentation
Patients usually present with discharge from a draining sinus, commonly seen at the anterior border of the sternocleidomastoid muscle 3.
Similar to the salivary glands, both benign and malignant diseases can occur in the heterotopic salivary gland tissue.
Radiographic features
Heterotopic salivary gland tissue has the same Ultrasound echo-texture, CT density, and MRI signal as the salivary glands.
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