The n e w e ng l a n d j o u r na l of m e dic i n e

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Tongue Mucocele

A
n 8-year-old boy was referred for evaluation of a mass in the Michael Lypka, M.D., D.M.D.
midline of the ventral surface of the anterior tongue. The lesion had fluctu- University of Texas Medical School
ated in size since it was first noted 4 months earlier. He was otherwise at Houston
asymptomatic, and his medical history revealed that he habitually bit his tongue. Houston, TX
Examination of the tongue revealed a nontender, smooth-walled, translucent, bluish,
fluctuant mass of approximately 8 mm in diameter that was resting on an opales- Jeffrey Hammoudeh, M.D.,
cent base. The mass was diagnosed as a mucocele of the salivary glands (glands of D.D.S.
Blandin and Nuhn). Commonly found in children, mucoceles develop when a sali- Children’s Hospital Los Angeles
vary-gland duct is severed and secreted salivary mucin accumulates in the surround- Los Angeles, CA
ing tissue. Historically, repetitive cheek or lip biting is a finding very commonly michael.a.lypka@uth.tmc.edu
associated with this condition. Mucoceles may occur anywhere in the mouth where
salivary glands exist, such as the lower lip, buccal mucosa, tongue, or oral floor.
When discovered on the retromolar pad, they must be biopsied to distinguish them
from mucoepidermoid carcinoma. In this case, the mucocele was excised and has
not recurred.
Copyright © 2011 Massachusetts Medical Society.

n engl j med 365;4 nejm.org july 28, 2011 e9

The New England Journal of Medicine
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