A Member of the University of Maryland Medical System | In Partnership with the University of Maryland School of Medicine
Mucocele; Mucous retention cyst; Ranula; Epulis
A thin, fluid-filled sac appears on the inside of the lip. The sac is bluish and clear. It is painless, but bothersome.
The sac can also occur on the tongue, palate, inside the cheeks, the floor of the mouth, or around tongue or lip piercings.
Your doctor can usually diagnose a mucous cyst simply by looking at it.
Kerr AR, Phelan JA. Benign lesions of the oral cavity. In: Greenberg MS, Glick M, Ship JA, eds. Berket's Oral Medicine. 11th ed. Hamilton, Canada: BC Decker Inc.; 2008: chap 6.
Maheu-Robert LF, Andrian E, Grenier D. Overview of complications secondary to tongue and lip piercings. J Can Dent Assoc. 2007; 73(4):327-331.
A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org). URAC's accreditation program is an independent audit to verify that A.D.A.M. follows rigorous standards of quality and accountability. A.D.A.M. is among the first to achieve this important distinction for online health information and services. Learn more about A.D.A.M.'s editorial policy, editorial process and privacy policy. A.D.A.M. is also a founding member of Hi-Ethics and subscribes to the principles of the Health on the Net Foundation (www.hon.ch).
© 2011 University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC). All rights reserved.
UMMC is a member of the University of Maryland Medical System,
22 S. Greene Street, Baltimore, MD 21201. TDD: 1-800-735-2258 or 1.866.408.6885