Located: subcutaneously on both sides of the face, below the zygomatic arch, anterior and inferior to the external auditory canal, posterior and lateral to the mandibular ramus. Most glands are located in the posterior mandibular fossa. It is an irregular cone shape with the base facing outward and the tip facing inward. About 35% of people have accessory parotid glands

The superficial continuation of the deep cervical fascia is formed by two layers of deep and superficial fascia surrounding the parotid gland.

Mumps infected by the virus will cause the glands to swell, and the fascia surrounding the glands is dense and difficult to decompress outwards. The tension receptors are stimulated and pain is likely to occur. In acute suppurative parotitis, multiple scattered small abscesses can form in the gland. During clinical examination, the fluctuating sensation is generally not palpable. When incision and drainage of abscesses, only by opening up all the abscess cavities can adequate drainage be achieved. The purpose of diversion. Suppurative parotitis can spread to the parapharyngeal space and external auditory canal through the weakness of the deep facial fascial structure of the parotid sheath.

The tube wall is thick and has a certain degree of toughness. It is about 5~7cm long and 0.3~0.5cm in diameter. The saliva secreted by the acinar cells of the parotid gland merges into the parotid duct through the intercalary duct, secretory duct, and interlobular duct and is discharged into the oral cavity. About 70% of the parotid ducts are single-trunk type, and the others include double-trunk type and triple-trunk type. The double-trunk type and triple-trunk type parotid duct merge into the common duct after passing through the front edge of the gland.

The parotid duct passes through the front edge of the gland 1.5cm from the lower edge of the zygomatic arch and walks forward, parallel to the zygomatic arch, crossing the surface of the masseter muscle, and inward at a nearly right angle at its front edge, passing through the buccal fat pad and buccinator muscle. It opens in the buccal mucosa corresponding to the buccal surface of the crown of the maxillary second molar. The mucosa at the opening is slightly raised and is called the parotid duct papilla.

Body surface projection of the parotid duct: the middle 1/3 section from the lower edge of the earlobe to the midpoint between the lower edge of the nose and the corner of the mouth. When the parotid gland is squeezed during clinical examination, clear fluid can be seen flowing out of the opening of the parotid duct.

(1) Above: superficial temporal vein, auriculotemporal nerve (sometimes behind the superficial temporal vein), superficial temporal artery, temporal branch of facial nerve and zygomatic branch. (Huke selection)

(2) Anteromedial surface: transverse facial artery and vein, zygomatic branch of facial nerve, superior buccal branch of facial nerve, parotid duct, inferior buccal branch of facial nerve and marginal mandibular branch.

(3) Posteromedial surface: the anterior edge of the mastoid process and the anterior edge of the sternocleidomastoid muscle, the posterior belly of the digastric muscle, the styloid process and the muscles attached to the styloid process. The facial nerve trunk enters the parotid gland from between the mastoid and styloid impressions.

(4) Superficial surface: skin, superficial fascia, platysma muscle, and superficial parotid sheath. Marginal mandibular branch of facial nerve (sometimes changed location) cervical branch of facial nerve, retromandibular vein

(1) The blood of the parotid gland comes from the branches of the external carotid artery and is mainly supplied by the superficial temporal artery and the postauricular artery. The veins drain mainly from the retromandibular vein to the external jugular vein.

(2) Innervation of parotid gland:

①Outside ②Bottom ③Inside

(1) Vascular distribution: derived from: branches of facial artery and lingual artery.

(2) Innervation:

(3) Lymphatic drainage

(1) Sensory nerve: lingual nerve of trigeminal nerve

(2) Sympathetic nerves and parasympathetic nerves: The sympathetic trunk superior cervical ganglion forms the arterial plexus. Parasympathetic nerves originate from the superior salivation nucleus,

(3) Lymphatic drainage: deep upper cervical lymph node group