The Juxtaoral Organ: From Anatomy to Clinical Relevance

Abstract

The juxtaoral organ was first described 1885 as a rudimentary structure that developed and disappeared in the embryonic period. Since then, it has been studied further and is now known to be a permanent anatomical structure of considerable importance in clinical, surgical and pathological fields. However, there are no precise and uniform descriptions about its anatomical localization and functional significance. Precise and in-depth anatomical knowledge is crucial to reducing the risk of incorrect identification of the juxtaoral organ, due to fact that this anatomical structure can be misinterpreted as a carcinoma, leading to unnecessary treatments. Therefore, the purpose of this review is to summarize the actual knowledge on the gross and microscopic anatomy of the juxtaoral organ and outline its clinical relevance in order to prevent unnecessary investigations/treatments of this anatomical pitfall. We believe that further studies are still needed to add new perspectives in relation to the juxtaoral organ.

Short histological kaleidoscope – recent findings in histology. Part III

“…The embryological origin of the juxtaoral organ of Chievitz has been intensively studied, the first description is made by Chievitz, who suggests that this organ originates from the ectoderm of the oral cavity around the oral commissure, which invaginates into the underlying mesenchyme during intrauterine life and subsequently disappears after birth [ 182 ]. Finally, Chievitz stated that the organ that bears his name is a transitory and rudimentary structure associated with the embryological development of the parotid glands, but Zenker contradicts this demonstration, stating that the parotid glands develop later [ 181 ].…”

“…The middle layer is characterized by loose connective tissue, in the thickness of which there are myelinated and unmyelinated nerve fibers and is called the stratum nervosum. The external layer, which connects the organ with the fascia of the bucotemporal muscle, is called stratum fibrosum externum [ 182 , 186 ]. The parenchyma (the inner core) contains two cell types: type I is the most numerous and contains granular vesicles and type II, cells with cytoplasmic processes, scattered among the other cells [ 181 ].…”

“…Also, in 2015, Kobayashi et al demonstrated the presence of a ring of sensory endings between the parenchyma and stratum fibrosum internum [ 187 ]. Suarez-Quintanilla and the research team discovered that the connective layers showed intense immunoreactivity for a blood vessel marker (CD34), and thus suggested the presence at this level of structures resembling capillaries [ 182 , 184 ]. Also, the presence of increased enzymatic activity at the level of parenchymal cells, demonstrated by IHC, may suggest intense metabolic activity at this level [ 180 ].…”