What doctor should I see about enlarged submandibular glands? (Photo)

Question

I’m 28 years old male with active lifestyle, with a lean/ athletic build. I’ve seen noticing that my submandibular glands stick out a lot making my lower jaw look swollen or puffy. I was wondering what doctor I could see about that. I read that they can be injected with botox to reduce their size.

Matthew Zeiderman, MD · Answer

I would encourage you to see a plastic surgeon regarding botox for mandibular gland size.
If this growth in size has been relatively recent or rapid, or one size is significantly larger than the other you should see your primary care physician to discuss this. rapid or abnormal enlargement of submandibular lymph nodes can be seen in other serious medical conditions. These lymph nodes are immediately next to and around the gland and can be mistaken for gland swelling/enlargement.

Camille Cash, MD · Answer

The place to begin is by visiting an ENT.  An evaluation is needed to determine if there is an underlying cause for the enlarged submandibular glands.  If so, treatment may improve the appearance.  If not you can then explore cosmetic improvements.

Daniel Kirk, MD · Answer

Hi, As part of deep plane face and neck lifts, I sometimes have to remove part of the submandibular gland when they are large and show just as yours do. This can be done through a small incision under the chin. Its important that you see a doc that has significant experience with the with deep neck structures such as facial plastic/head and neck surgeons (ENT), maxillofacial or facial cosmetic surgeons. Hope this helps! Dr Kirk - Long Island, New York

Anna Frants, MD · Answer

Hi. You should definitely start by seeing an ENT (otolaryngology) specialist. Submandibular glands can be enlarged for a number of reasons including normal anatomical variant, infectious, and inflammatory etiologies. You will undergo a comprehensive evaluation to determine the cause of the enlarged glands. As we age, the Submandibular glands may become ptotic and facial plastic surgeons (who have an ENT background) can surgically lift and trim the glands to create a smoother neckline/jawline. However, it is uncommon at your age for submandibular glands to suddenly become ptotic.

What doctor should I see about enlarged submandibular glands? (Photo)

Answers (4)

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