A mucocele is a distension of a hollow organ or cavity because of

mucus Mucus ( ) is a slippery aqueous secretion produced by, and covering, mucous membranes. It is typically produced from cells found in mucous glands, although it may also originate from mixed glands, which contain both serous and mucous cells. It is ...

buildup.

By location

Oral

Oral mucocele is the most common benign lesion of the salivary glands generally conceded to be of traumatic origin. It is characterized by the pooling of mucus in a cavity due to the rupture of salivary ducts or acini. It can occur in the lower lip, palate, cheeks, tongue and the floor of the mouth.

Appendix

Appendiceal mucocele is found in 0.3 to 0.7% of the appendectomies.

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license It is characterized by the dilation of the organ lumen with mucus accumulation. Appendix mucocele may come as a consequence of obstructive or inflammatory processes, cystadenomas or cystadenocarcinomas. Its main complication is

pseudomyxoma peritonei Pseudomyxoma peritonei (PMP) is a clinical condition caused by cancerous cells (mucinous adenocarcinoma) that produce abundant mucin or gelatinous ascites. The tumors cause fibrosis of tissues and impede digestion or organ function, and if left un ...

. File:Gross pathology of mucocele of the appendix.jpg, Gross pathology of mucocele of the appendix File:Pie chart of histological types of mucocele of the appendix.jpg, Pie chart of histological types of mucocele of the appendix, with relative incidence.

Other

* Mucocele of the petrous apex * Mucocele of the paranasal sinuses * Gallbladder mucocele

Diagnosis

Superficial mucoceles can often be diagnosed by appearance and consistency alone. Sometimes, it is indicated to perform

diagnostic imaging Medical imaging is the technique and process of imaging the interior of a body for clinical analysis and medical intervention, as well as visual representation of the function of some organs or tissues (physiology). Medical imaging seeks to rev ...

and/or

needle biopsy Fine-needle aspiration (FNA) is a diagnostic procedure used to investigate lumps or masses. In this technique, a thin (23–25 gauge (0.52 to 0.64 mm outer diameter)), hollow needle is inserted into the mass for sampling of cells that, aft ...

. On a

CT scan A computed tomography scan (CT scan; formerly called computed axial tomography scan or CAT scan) is a medical imaging technique used to obtain detailed internal images of the body. The personnel that perform CT scans are called radiographers ...

, a mucocele is fairly homogenous, with an attenuation of about 10-18

Hounsfield unit The Hounsfield scale , named after Sir Godfrey Hounsfield, is a quantitative scale for describing radiodensity. It is frequently used in CT scans, where its value is also termed CT number. Definition The Hounsfield unit (HU) scale is a linear tran ...

s.page 152
in:

References

Conditions of the mucous membranes {{symptom-stub