Mucous Cyst

Mucous Cyst

A mucous cyst is a thin painless sac on the inner surface of the lips. It contains clear fluid. The sac is bluish clear in color. The sac can occur on the inside of the lip, tongue, palate, inside the cheeks, the floor of the mouth, or around tongue or lip piercings. A mucous cyst often can be left alone. Normally a mucous cyst will rupture spontaneously. Opening the top of the sac with a sterile needle will help it go away. If the cyst returns, it may need to be removed surgically. Oral surgeons and some dentists can easily remove the sacs if they continue to cause discomfort. Mucous cysts are common. Sucking the lip membranes into the teeth are thought to cause cysts. When the cysts are positioned on the floor of the mouth they are called ranula, when positioned on the gums they are called epulis. There is no known prevention for mucous cysts. They are diagnosed by visual examination.