Wharton's duct drains

(A) Submandibular gland # Submandibular gland: It is irregular in shape & about the size of a walnut.> It consists of a larger superficial and a smaller deep part, continuous with each other around the posterior border of mylohyoid.> It is seromucous (but predominantly serous) gland.# Wharton's duct emerges from the medial surface of this part of the gland behind the posterior border of mylohyoid.> It traversed the deep part of the gland passes at first up and slightly back for 0.5 mm, and then forwards between mylohyoid and hyoglossus.> It next passes between the sublingual gland and genioglossus to open in the floor of the mouth on the summit of the sublingual papilla at the side of the frenulum of the tongue. It lies between the lingual and hypoglossal nerves on hypoglossus, but, at the anterior border of the muscle, it is crossed laterally by the lingual nerve, terminal branches of which ascend on its medial side.> As the duct traverses the deep part of the gland it receives small tributaries draining this part of the gland like the parotid gland, the duct system of the submandibular gland can be visualized by sialography.