My mucocele keeps coming in the same spot. What is the reason?

Question

Hi doctor,

I have been diagnosed with an oral mucocele on the lower lip for three months. I underwent surgery to remove the lesion, and it was sent for histopathological examination. The exam report suggested it was a simple retention cyst, and the excision was complete.

After eight to nine days of surgery, the mucocele recurred in the same location and it was small this time. I excised it again, and the doctor did not suture it. After ten days, the mucocele reappeared in the same spot and it was smaller than the second occurrence.

For the first time, it was full of liquid and found with periods of growing and dimming. But now, for a week, it remains the same. The doctor examined it and told me that it seems to be a hundred percent noncancerous. But it can occur due to an orthodontic problem.

I have a problem that while sleeping, the sharp teeth can traumatize the region, causing the lesion. I went to another doctor, and he also told me that it is not a malignant one and it can be a scar from the previous excision. It can cause pressure on other salivary glands.

I consulted an ORL doctor to check the neck, and he also found nothing about the tumor. Even after having two surgeries, I still have the problem in the same place. I am worried, and I keep thinking about oral cancer.

Kindly suggest your opinion.

Answer 1

Hi,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

Thank you for giving me a chance to answer your query, and I will give my opinion. I have gone through your query and the picture attached (attachment removed to protect patient identity). I would also like to assure you that the condition is not associated with malignancy, tumor, or cancer of any sort.

Mucocele is a condition associated with minor salivary gland inflammation, and it has been confirmed already with a histopathological examination. Hence, you need not worry.

As you have a recurrence, kindly check with your doctor. Any sharp tooth with sharp edges present in the same region can traumatize the region. If so, ask them to correct it.

Regards.