Odontologo

J Oral Maxillofac Surg
68:2468-2471, 2010

Clinical Characteristics, Treatment, and
Evolution of 89 Mucoceles in Children
Ignacio Mínguez-Martinez, DDS,*
Cristina Bonet-Coloma, DDS,† Javier Ata-Ali-Mahmud, DDS,‡
Celia Carrillo-García, DDS,§ Maria Peñarrocha-Diago, DDS,
and Miguel Peñarrocha-Diago, PhD, DDS,¶
Purpose: The present study was undertaken to evaluate mucoceles in the oralcavity of pediatric

patients, including the clinical characteristics, treatment, and progress of the lesions.
Patients and Methods: A retrospective study was performed from the medical records of patients
(0-14 years old) treated for oral mucoceles between 1998 and 2008 in a reference children’s hospital. All
subjects with mucoceles on lips, mouth, buccal mucosa, and palate were included. Thefollowing data
were recorded: age, gender, history of trauma, location, size, progression, time before diagnosis,
treatment, histologic type, follow-up time, and recurrence.
Results: A total of 89 patients (mean age, 6.1 years) participated in this study. There were 89
mucoceles: 4 were congenital; 79.8% were located on the lower lip; and 69% were larger than 5 mm
in diameter. Averageprogression time was 5.7 months (range, 1-24 months). It was observed that
older patients developed more mucoceles on the tongue and lips and younger patients developed
more mucoceles on the buccal mucosa and palate. The lesions of 39 subjects resolved spontaneously; 50 were removed but 4 reappeared afterward. Histologically, all lesions were extravasation
mucoceles.
Conclusion: Mucoceles were morecommonly located on the lower lip; 43.8% resolved spontaneously
and 8% of the surgically removed mucoceles reappeared.
© 2010 American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
J Oral Maxillofac Surg 68:2468-2471, 2010
Mucocele is a common lesion of the oral mucosa
that results from an alteration of minor salivary
glands because of mucous accumulation. Mucocele
involves mucinaccumulation causing limited swelling.1 They affect children and adults and can appear
at any site of the oral mucosa containing minor
salivary glands.2-4

Received from the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of
Valencia, Valencia, Spain.
*Master’s Degree in Oral Surgery and Implantology.
†Master’s Degree in Oral Surgery and Implantology.
‡Resident of the Master of Oral Surgery andImplantology.
§Master’s Degree in Oral Surgery and Implantology.
Master’s Degree in Oral Surgery and Implantology.
¶Professor of Dental Surgery, Head of the Master’s Degree in Oral
Surgery and Implantology.
Address correspondence and reprint requests to Dr Miguel
Peñarrocha Diago: Cirugía Bucal, Clínicas Odontológicas, Gascó
Oliag 1, 46021 Valencia. Spain; e-mail: Miguel.penarrocha@uv.es
©2010 American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons

0278-2391/10/6810-0013$36.00/0
doi:10.1016/j.joms.2009.12.038

Mucoceles most commonly affect children. Nevertheless, except that of Nico et al,5 there is no specific
published research among the pediatric population.
These authors analyzed 36 mucoceles in children
aged younger than 15 years. Some researchers focus
on thegeneral population (0 to 70 years old) and then
specify the incidence in pediatric patients.6-8 On the
other hand, other authors refer to isolated clinical
cases9-13 (Table 1). For this study, we felt it would be
interesting to study mucoceles in a sample of pediatric patients from the oral and maxillofacial surgery
service of a children’s hospital.
The aim was to consider the clinicalcharacteristics,
treatment, and evolution of 89 mucoceles in the oral
cavity of pediatric patients.

Patients and Methods
A retrospective study was performed of patients
with a clinical diagnosis of mucocele treated between 1998 and 2008 at the Oral and Maxillofacial
Surgery Service of a reference children’s hospital.
Histopathologic and clinical data from pediatric pa-

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