A team of researchers discovered a new organ that was previously unknown in the human body. It resembled a series of salivary glands located deep in the upper part of the throat. Although thehuman bodies have been thoroughly examined so farthis organ has remained unnoticed. It is located on the cartilage called the torus tubarius, located above the roof of the mouth. According to Wikipedia, the torus tubarius is a mucous membrane protrusion in the lateral part of the nasopharynx, which surrounds the mouth of the ear trumpet (Tuba auditiva) in an arc dorsally and cranially.
How important is such a new organ for medicine?
Scientists from the Netherlands made the discovery by chance during a study of prostate cancer patients using the latest PSMA PET/CT scanner. During this tomography with contrast medium, they noticed a previously unknown organ. There are approximately a thousand minor salivary glands in the human body. They are found in the mouth and throat, but are so small that they can only be detected under a microscope. However, the glands now found are larger. To confirm the finding, Wutter Vogel and colleagues from the Netherlands Cancer Institute examined 100 patients. 99 of these were men with a focus on prostate cancer. They found that they all had the newly discovered glands. The scientists also dissected two corpses where they saw that such a new organ could consist of mucous tissue and ducts that drained into the nasopharynx.
The discoverymay be important in the treatment of cancer. Doctors who prescribe radiation therapy to the head and neck try to avoid irradiation of the salivary glands. This is primarily because damage to these glands can impact quality of life, says Vogel. The discovery was exciting to them, but the authors were initially a little skeptical. This was announced by the study's lead author, Matthijs H. Valstar, who is a surgeon in the Department of Head and Neck Oncology and Surgery at the Netherlands Cancer Institute. It is important that such a new organ is replicated and should be performed on different series of patients. However, new medical findings must also be confirmed.
