Scientists Accidentally Discover A New Organ In The Human Body!
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Yes, indeed… an organ that has never appeared in any previous medical examination.
The story began when a team of researchers in the Netherlands was using a special type of imaging called PSMA PET/CT to monitor prostate cancer patients. During the examinations, they noticed large salivary glands hidden behind the nose and above the throat. This discovery was made in all 100 patients who underwent the examination.
Each gland is estimated to be about 3.5 centimeters in size and is believed to be responsible for moistening the upper part of the throat… especially during speech or swallowing. Even more surprising is that this location was previously unknown to contain salivary glands!
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And most importantly… salivary glands are extremely sensitive to radiation. This means that these two glands, because their location was previously unknown, may have been exposed to high levels of radiation in previous treatments without anyone noticing, which could lead to problems such as dry mouth, difficulty swallowing, and chronic pain.
What's astonishing is that these glands didn't appear on standard MRI or CT scans, which is why they went unnoticed for decades.
Scientists are still investigating whether this discovery represents an entirely new organ or a previously undiscovered part of the salivary system… but what's certain is that this discovery reminds us that the human body still holds secrets yet to be uncovered.