During eval for renal lithiasis, a 46-year old man undergoes a series of imaging studies. (... blah blah blah, findings point towards hyperparathyroidism). A parathyroidectomy is recommended, and during the operation, two parathyroid grlands are found posterior to the thyroid gland on the left side, but only one, which appears to be the inferior, is present on the right. Because of the similarity of its developmental origin, which of the following additional organs should be explored to find the remaining parathyroid?
A) Palatine tonsil
B) Parotid gland
C) Sublingual gland
D) Submandibular gland
E) Thymus
I want to say the thymus, but they said the superior parathyroid is missing, not the inferior (which originates with the thymus). What's the deal???