Hirudin Hirudin Hirudin is a naturally occurring peptide in the salivary glands of blood-sucking leeches (such as "Hirudo medicinalis") that has a blood anticoagulant property. This is fundamental for the leeches’ alimentary habit of hematophagy, since it keeps the blood flowing after the initial phlebotomy performed by the worm on the host’s skin. During his years in Birmingham and Edinburgh, John Berry Haycraft had been actively engaged in research and published papers on the coagulation of blood, and in 1884, he discovered that the leech secreted a powerful anticoagulant, which he named hirudin, although it was not isolated until the 1950s,
Sialodochitis caused by an allergic reaction, in which there is sudden swelling of the salivary glands. It is associated with other allergic conditions such as asthma, urticaria, allergic rhinitis and food allergy. Sialodochitis Sialodochitis (also termed ductal sialadenitis), is inflammation of the duct system of a salivary gland. This is compared to sialadenitis, which is inflammation of the gland parenchyma. Sialodochitis may be associated with salivary duct strictures and salivary stones. It is common in both the parotid glands and submandibular glands. The treatment is as for sialadenitis. It may appear on a CT scan or MRI scan as enhancement and