Oral mucocele treatment options
Introduction
- Mucocele means a cavity filled with mucin.
- Most of the documented cases develop as a result of trauma, often associated with repetitive mechanical irritation, such as habitual lip biting.
- It arises due to damage of the ducts of minor salivary glands, leading to an accumulation of mucinous material with a reactive inflammatory response surrounded with granulation tissue.
- Mucocele usually presents as solitary or multiple, painless, dome‐shaped, translucent, whitish blue papules or nodules.
- It most commonly affects the lower lip.
- Mucoceles may resolve spontaneously.
Diseases that may be associated with mucocele
- Oral lichen planus.
- Graft-versus-host disease (GVHD)
Oral mucocele medical treatment options
- Potent topical steroids
- Gamma-linolenic acid.
- Topical tacrolimus*(1 mg of tacrolimus in 1 L of water using this solution to swish and spit twice per day).
- Intralesional Corticosteroid: 1 mL of betamethasone(4 mg/1 mL) weekly up to 3 wks.
Physical treatment options
- Complete surgical excision with histopathological examination to exclude salivary gland tumour with cystic change.
- Aspiration and follow-up after 6 months.
- Marsupialization.
- Micro-marsupialization.
- Electrodesiccation.
- Cryosurgery for superficial lesions.
- Sclerotherapy.
- Laser surgery.