Mucocele, or myxoma, is a change on the mucosa, called by some mucosa congestive cyst. What are the symptoms of a congestive mucosa cyst? What are the types of congestive cysts and what is the treatment for mucocele?

Mucocele( myxoma ,mucosal congestive cyst ) is formed when the drain is blocked secretions of the glands of the mucosa. The oral mucosa contains several hundred tiny salivary glands that constantly moisturize it, thus facilitating food intake. These tiny glands can become the starting point for the development of various pathological conditions.

These include, among others, cysts, i.e. pathological cavities filled with liquid or semi-liquid content. The cyst is limited by a connective tissue bag sent from the inside by the epithelium (then we are dealing with a real cyst) or it is not possible to send it (it is a so-called pseudocyst).

Cysts of small salivary glands are mild, non-neoplastic lesions. They occur at all ages, and are most common in young people.

Mucocele: reasons

Small salivary glands, about 200-400, are embedded in the mucosa lining the entire mouth. They carry out their function all the time - they produce saliva.

When you look at the tiny salivary gland under a microscope, you can see that it consists of glandular tissue and an exit duct.

The mucous content (saliva) produced by the glandular tissue follows the exit duct to flow up to the mucosa at its end. If the transport system fails and the salivary gland is still producing saliva, the so-called mucocele or a stagnant cyst.

Congestive cysts: types

In the literature, two types of changes are often described under the term mucocele:

  • Cysts associated with extravasation of the mucous contents. As a result of a mechanical injury caused by e.g. biting the lip, trauma during a dental procedure, irritation of the mucosa with an orthodontic bracket or elements of dentures, the continuity of the salivary gland duct is broken. The mucus content that would normally be discharged into the oral cavity flows out and in this situationit accumulates in soft tissues, causing the formation of a cyst. The extravasated content is quickly surrounded by a coronary of cells of the immune system, which encapsulate it over time. This formation does not have epithelial lining, therefore it is classified as a pseudocyst. It is these types of changes that deserve the name mucocele.
  • Cysts associated with the retention of mucous content, i.e. mucosal congestive cysts or congestive salivary cysts. They are caused by the total or partial obstruction of the ducts that lead out of the small salivary glands. Said obstruction may be associated with mechanical trauma or chronic inflammation. Saliva stagnation causes widening of the exit ducts and deepening local inflammation. Saliva collects inside the exit duct to form a cyst. The epithelium, which is one layer in the wall of the exit tract, unfolds and lines the inside of the cyst. In this case, we are dealing with a true cyst. The proper name for this type of lesion is "small salivary gland congestive cyst" but it happens that in professional literature it is sometimes interchangeably called mucocele.

The clinical picture of both lesions is identical, so they are often confused and called one term - mucocele. Due to the nature of the lesions, this name should only be reserved for extravasated salivary cysts.

Symptoms of mucosal congestive cysts

Both cysts from extravasation and those associated with retention of mucous content have identical clinical symptoms. A relatively soft upward movement appears on the oral mucosa. The formed nodule has regular shapes (usually it is spherical) and is well demarcated from the adjacent tissues. In rare cases, it takes the form of a pedimented creation.

The diameter of these cysts usually does not exceed 1 cm, the sizes may slightly increase with meals. Mucocele occurs singly in most cases, although cases where multiple cysts of the small salivary glands have been reported have been reported. Due to the content of the liquid or semi-solid, there is usually a clear symptom of bubbling.

The mucosa above the lesion becomes bluish or slightly white. Through the tense mucosa, you can see the thick discharge filling the cyst. The cyst formation is not accompanied by pain symptoms, patients only complain of discomfort related to the presence of a foreign body in the mouth.

The mucosa of the lower lip is a typical location for the formation of small salivary gland cysts. It also happensthat they are formed in the mucosa of the cheeks, soft palate, the corners of the mouth or on the tongue.

Mucocele: treatment and prognosis

Superficial cysts of small salivary glands sometimes disappear spontaneously and do not require medical intervention. After such "spontaneous" recovery, relapses often occur.

In the event that a doctor needs to take action, the treatment of salivary gland cysts is surgical. The procedure is performed on an outpatient basis under the supervision of a dental surgeon. There are several treatments for mucosal congestive cysts. Depending on the indications, the doctor selects the most appropriate one.

The most effective method is the complete excision of the cyst with adjacent glands. The entire procedure is quick and takes place under local anesthesia. The mucosa above the cyst is incised to allow free access to the lesion.

Then the entire cyst with the connective tissue bag is gently excised and the wound is sutured. The obtained biological material is sent for microscopic examination to confirm the diagnosis. If a congestive mucosa cyst is diagnosed, the prognosis is good.

The complete removal of the lesion along with the adjacent small salivary glands means that relapses are rare.

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