Mucocele, also known as mucous cyst, is a type of blister that forms on the lip, tongue, cheeks or palate, usually due to a stroke in the area, repeated bites or a blocked salivary gland.
This benign injury can range from a few millimeters to 2 or 3 centimeters in diameter and does not usually cause pain, except when accompanied by some type of injury.
- Mucocele is not contagious and usually goes away naturally without treatment; However.
- In some cases.
- Minor surgery performed by a dentist may be needed to remove the affected cyst and salivary gland.
Mucocele forms a kind of bubble, containing saliva inside, usually painless, transparent or violet, can sometimes be mistaken for a sore, although sores usually don’t cause blisters, but mouth ulcers.
After a while, the mucocle may recede or break, after a bite or blow to the area, and can cause a small wound in the area, which heals naturally.
Given the presence of symptoms that indicate mucocles and persist for more than 2 weeks, it is important to go to the dentist to assess the situation because there is a type of cancer, called mucoepidermoid carcinoma, which can cause similar symptoms, but instead of improvement, usually worsens over time.
Mucocele is curable, which usually occurs naturally, disappearing the cyst within a few days without treatment; However, in cases where the lesion continues to grow and becomes too large or where there is no natural regression, the dentist may indicate minor surgery in the office to remove the affected salivary gland and reduce swelling.
This surgery is a simple procedure, which does not require hospitalization and therefore, the patient can return home within a few hours of treatment, being able to go to work 1 to 2 days after surgery.
In addition, in some cases, mucocele may recur and additional surgery may be needed.
Causes of cystic fibrosis are related to blockage or injury of a salivary gland or canal, and the most common situations include:
In addition, mucocles can also occur in newborns shortly after birth due to trauma during childbirth, but rarely require treatment.