Tubarial gland involvement in IgG4-related diseases

Abstract

Background

Tubarial glands (TGs) are a collection of unidentified salivary glands overlying the torus tubarius in the nasopharyngeal wall. Immunoglobulin G4-related disease (IgG4-RD) is a chronic fibroinflammatory state that often has multiple organ involvement. Involvement of the head and neck, especially the salivary glands, is common in IgG4-RD.

Aims/objectives

This study aimed to elucidate the clinical significance of TGs in IgG4-RD.

Materials and methods

We investigated the local findings of TGs in ten patients with IgG4-RD.

Results

Nasopharyngeal endoscopic examination revealed oedematous swelling of the nasopharyngeal wall surrounding the TGs, which improved after steroid treatment. Moreover, sonotubometry showed a stenotic pattern in three out of seven patients with IgG4-RD.

Conclusions and significance

TGs may be involved in IgG4-RD. The swollen TGs may be responsible for obstructive Eustachian tube dysfunction. Further studies are required to clarify the clinical significance and physiological roles of TGs in IgG4-RD.

Chinese Abstract

背景：管状腺 (TG) 是覆盖在咽壁内鼻管状肌环面上的一组不明唾液腺。免疫球蛋白 G4 相关疾病 (IgG4-RD) 是一种慢性纤维炎症, 通常累及多个器官。头颈部受累, 尤其是唾液腺, 在 IgG4-RD 中很常见。

目的：本研究旨在说明TG对于 IgG4-RD 的临床意义。

材料和方法：我们调查了 10 名 IgG4-RD 患者 TG 的局部发现。

结果：鼻咽内镜检查显示 TG 周围的鼻咽壁水肿肿胀, 类固醇治疗后改善。此外, 声管测量显示在七位 IgG4-RD 患者中有三位具狭窄模式。

结论及意义：TG可能与IgG4-RD有关。肿胀的TG可能是阻塞性咽鼓管功能障碍的原因。需要进一步的研究来阐明 TG 对于 IgG4-RD 的临床意义和生理作用。

Keywords:

• Tubarial glands
• IgG4-related disease
• Eustachian tube

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by JSPS KAKENHI [Grant Number JP21K09610].