Mucocele

A mucocele is a submucosal swelling with a hard-elastic texture, translucent in appearance, often the result of a traumatic event (e.g. biting or other related habit). It is caused by the rupturing of the duct of a minor salivary gland and its secretion into the submucosa. It is generally asymptomatic but does not tend to heal spontaneously, presenting a fluctuating variation in volume. The treatment of a mucocele is to remove it totally by surgery, including the associated minor salivary gland and its tiny lobule, an intervention which avoids frequent relapses.