Distribution of Minor Salivary Glands in the Periton
sillar Spacet
SUTHEE KRAITRAKUL, M.D.*,
SARITHORN SIRITHUNYA PORN, M.D.**,
KWANCHANOK YIMTAE, M.D.*
Affiliation : * Department of Otolaryngology,
* * Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand.
t Presented at the XVI World Congress of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Sydney, Australia, 6
March, 1997.
AbstractMinor salivary glands can usually be found along the mucous membrane of the upper
aerodigestive tract. Their presence in the peritonsillar space was of little interest until it was
postulated that infection of Weber's gland (minor salivary gland at the superior pole of the periton
sillar space) might be the possible cause of peritonsillar abscess. This study was designed to
examine the distribution of minor salivary glands in the peritonsillar space and their role in patho
genesis of peritonsillar abscess. Tonsillectomy specimens from fifty-five patients who were
suffering from repeated tonsillitis, obstructive sleep apnea, tonsillar mass and peritonsillar abscess
at Srinagarind Hospital from September 1995 to November 1996 were histologically examined.
The locations of these minor salivary glands were found at the upper, middle, and lower portions
of the peritonsillar space. This small sample study precludes any definitive statement regarding
the association of Weber's gland and the pathogenesis of peritonsillar abscess.
Keywords : Peritonsillar, Minor Salivary Glands, Weber's Gland
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