Mucocele In a lower tongue a teenage girl

Mucocele are tiny sacs under the tongue or other areas inside the mouth that are filled with fluid. They are not generally harmful but can cause discomfort and stress on the person inflicted with it. Mucocele do not require serious medical attention as it usually goes away within 3 to 6 weeks.

picture before surgery

Mucocele Symptoms

• A bump in the tongue or in other areas of the mouth
• Translucent to bluish in color
• Soft bump although mucocele can also be hard
• Swollen
• Painless
• May cause swallowing difficulties

Mucocele Causes

• Mouth injury
• Habitual biting of the lip and other mouth areas
• Frequent chewing

Home Treatment for Mucocele Removal

• The best treatment of mucocele is to leave it alone since it will disappear after a few days to a few weeks.



7 days after surgery

An 19-year-old girl was referred for evaluation of a mass in the midline of the ventral surface of the anterior tongue. The lesion had fluctuated in size since it was first noted 4 months earlier. it was otherwise asymptomatic, and her medical history revealed that he habitually bit his tongue. Examination of the tongue revealed a nontender, smooth-walled, translucent, bluish, fluctuant mass of approximately 5 cm in diameter that was resting on an opalescent base. The mass was diagnosed as a mucocele of the salivary glands (glands of Blandin and Nuhn). Commonly found in children, mucoceles develop when a salivary-gland duct is severed and secreted salivary mucin accumulates in the surrounding tissue. Historically, repetitive cheek or lip biting is a finding very commonly associated with this condition. Mucoceles may occur anywhere in the mouth where salivary glands exist, such as the lower lip, buccal mucosa, tongue, or oral floor. When discovered on the retromolar pad, they must be biopsied to distinguish them from mucoepidermoid carcinoma. In this case, the mucocele was excised and has not recurred.