Comparative morphology of oral glands in snakes of the family Homalopsidae reveals substantial variation and additional independent origins of salt glands within Serpentes.

Using diffusible iodine-based contrast-enhanced computed tomography (diceCT), we examined the morphology of the oral glands of 12 species of the family Homalopsidae. Snakes of this family exhibit substantial interspecific morphological variation in their oral glands. Particular variables are the venom glands, ranging from large (e.g., Subsessor bocourti) to small (e.g., Erpeton tentaculatum). The supra- and infralabial glands are more uniform in morphology, being the second most developed in almost all the sampled species. Premaxillary glands distinct from the supralabial glands were observed in five species (Myron richardsonii, Bitia hydroides, Cantoria violacea, Fordonia leucobalia, and Gerarda prevostiana), in addition to Cerberus rynchops, the only species in which this condition was previously documented associated with the excretion of salt. In the three species of the saltwater group of homalopsids (C. violacea, F. leucobalia, and G. prevostiana), the premaxillary glands also extend posteriorly, occupying a large area above the supralabial gland, a condition not observed in any other species of snake studied thus far. Character evolution analyses indicate that premaxillary glands differentiated from the supralabial gland and evolved independently three or four times in the family, always in lineages that invaded marine habitats. Our results suggest that the differentiated premaxillary glands are likely salt glands, as is the case in C. rynchops. If corroborated, this increases to six or seven the number of independent evolutionary origins of salt glands in snakes that have undergone an evolutionary transition to marine life.

Hiperplasia de glândula salivar sublingual: relato de caso / Hyperplasia of the sublingual salivary glands: a case report

A hiperplasia da glândula salivar sublingual é descrita como uma desordem benigna de envolvimento funcional. Apresenta um crescimento lento e progressivo, assintomático, uni ou bilateral da glândula sublingual, de etiologia incerta, em que muitos fatores causadores podem estar associados. O diagnóstico é clínico, complementado por exames de imagens. Seu tratamento pode ser conservador ou cirúrgico, dependendo do grau de comprometimento. O trabalho desenvolvido tem por objetivo relatar um caso de hiperplasia de glândula sublingual em uma paciente do gênero masculino de 39 anos, submetido a procedimento cirúrgico sob anestesia local.

Hyperplasia of the sublingual salivary gland is described as a benign disorder with functional compromise. It presents a slow, progressive and asymptomatic growth of one of or both the sublingual glands. Its etiology remains unspecified, and many factors may be involved. The diagnosis is mostly clinical, complemented by imaging studies. The treatment may be conservative or surgical, depending on the progression status of the disorder. This paper reports a case of sublingual gland hyperplasia in a 39-year-old male patient who was submitted to surgery under local anesthesia.