II. Epidemiology
- Most common in children and young adults
III. Definitions
- Mucocele (Mucous Retention Cyst, typically of the lip)
- Traumatic rupture of small Salivary Glands with spillage of mucin (typically within the lower lip)
- Ranula (Mucocele of the mouth floor)
- Mucocele of the oropharyngeal floor
- Most often due to submaxillary or Sublingual Gland duct obstruction
- Plunging Ranula extends beyond the mylohyoid Muscle
IV. Causes
- Local Trauma (e.g. biting lip)
V. Pathophysiology
- Results from Traumatic rupture of Salivary Glands
- Results in mucin spillage into lower lip
VI. Signs
- Benign lesion 1-2 cm diameter
- Round, regular, translucent or bluish Nodule
- Distribution
- Typically occurs on inside of lower lip
- May occur in any oral surface with Salivary Glands
- Consistency
- Early lesions are fluctuant
- Later lesions are firm and fibrotic
VII. Differential Diagnosis
- Lip Neoplasm
- Lip Aneurysm
- Dermoid Cyst
VIII. Management
- Small Mucoceles resolve spontaneously without treatment
- Local treatment techniques
- Indicated in lesions that are typical for Mucocele
- Anesthesia with Local Lidocaine with Epinephrine at the base of the lesion
- Technique 1
- Shave the lesion with scalpel, removing the top 50-75% but leaving the base
- Obtain Hemostasis
- Technique 2
- Place 4-0 or 5-0 Nylon Suture through the Mucocele, creating 2 holes in its surface
- Tie the Suture and remove in 5-7 days
- Other techniques
- Cryotherapy
- Electrocautery
- Surgical excision
- Indicated for suspicious lesions (refer to otolaryngology, oral facial surgery or dermatology)
- Also excise minor Salivary Glands at Mucocele base
- Send for pathology to rule-out neoplasia
IX. References
- Warrington (2020) Crit Dec Emerg Med 34(1): 13
- Randall (2022) Am Fam Physician 105(4): 369-76 [PubMed]
Images: Related links to external sites (from Bing)
Related Studies
| Definition (MSHCZE) | Nahromadění hlenu v určitém prostoru, např. v dutém orgánu. (cit. Velký lékařský slovník online, 2012 http://lekarske.slovniky.cz/ ) |
| Definition (NCI) | A mucous containing cyst arising from the minor salivary glands in the oral cavity. |
| Definition (MSH) | A retention cyst of the salivary gland, lacrimal sac, paranasal sinuses, appendix, or gallbladder. (Stedman, 26th ed) |
| Concepts | Anatomical Abnormality (T190) |
| MSH | D009078 |
| SnomedCT | 19633006 |
| English | Mucocele, Mucoceles, Mucous Cyst, Mucocele [Disease/Finding], mucocele, mucous retention cyst, mucus cyst, mucous cyst, mucinous cyst, mucoceles, Mucocoele, Mucus cyst, Mucinous cyst, Mucous cyst, Mucous retention cyst, Mucous cyst (morphologic abnormality) |
| Swedish | Slemcysta |
| Finnish | Mukoseele |
| Russian | MUKOTSELE, МУКОЦЕЛЕ |
| Polish | Torbiel zastoinowa gruczołów śluzowych, Torbiel śluzowa, Śluzowiak |
| Czech | mukokéla, mukokély, mukokela |
| Norwegian | Slimcyste, Mukocele |
| Spanish | mucocele, quiste de retención mucoso, quiste mucinoso, quiste mucoso (anomalía morfológica), quiste mucoso, Mucocele |
| French | Mucocèle |
| German | Mukozele |
| Italian | Mucocele |
| Dutch | Mucocele, Mucokèle |
| Portuguese | Mucocele |
Ontology: Ranula (disorder) (C2242813)
| Definition (MSH) | A form of retention cyst of the floor of the mouth, usually due to obstruction of the ducts of the submaxillary or sublingual glands, presenting a slowly enlarging painless deep burrowing mucocele of one side of the mouth. It is also called sublingual cyst and sublingual ptyalocele. |
| Concepts | Disease or Syndrome (T047) |
| MSH | D011900 |
| ICD10 | K11.6 |
| SnomedCT | 155657002, 14919007 |
| English | Ranula, Ranulas, Ranula (disorder), ranula (diagnosis), ranula, Ranula [Disease/Finding], Sublingual mucocele, Ranula of floor of mouth, Ranula of salivary gland of floor of mouth, Sublingual cyst |
| Japanese | がま腫, ｶﾞﾏｼｭ |
| Swedish | Ranula |
| Czech | ranula, Ranula |
| Finnish | Ranula |
| Russian | RANULA, РАНУЛА |
| Spanish | Ránula, quiste sublingual, ránula (trastorno), ránula de la glándula salival del piso de la boca, ránula del piso de la boca, ránula |
| Portuguese | Rânula |
| Polish | Żabka podjęzykowa, Torbiel podjęzykowa |
| Hungarian | Ranula |
| Norwegian | Ranula, Retensjonscyste i munngulv |
| Dutch | ranula, Ranula |
| French | Ranule, Grenouillette sublinguale, Grenouillette, Sialocèle sublingual |
| German | Ranula, Retentionszyste, Mundboden-, Mundbodenretentionszyste |
| Italian | Ranula |
