A digital manual for the early diagnosis of oral neoplasia
Stensen duct
The opening of the Stensen duct is seen in the buccal vestibule at the level of the second maxillary molar as a punctate soft papule and may appear in different sizes, shapes and colours. Saliva is expressed from the opening of this duct on extraoral massage of the parotid gland. It may be mistaken for a mucocele, or some other mucosal soft tissue lesion, and is one of the normal anatomical structures that is most commonly biopsied which should be avoided.
Image
Caption
Figure 1: Opening of the Stensen's duct.
Figure 2: Note the inflammed Stensen duct in the buccal mucosa (arrow) in a patient with oral lichen planus.