Mucocele or not

[goofyjim]

I have what I feel to be a mucocele caused by a fall three years ago.  The only thing is, it is on the upper lip and very superficial.  If it is a mucocele, will it be more difficult to surgically remove, and if it isn't a mucocele, can it be repaired?  It does swell sometimes and then decrease in size at other times.

[goofyjim]

Getting more nervous by the minute.  Apparently mine has not penetrated and is more deeply embedded.  Does this make extraction more painful?  I wish there were some video online of an upper lip mucocele surgery like the lower lip one on youtube.

[goofyjim]

I'm actually more worried now.  The doctor looked at it Tuesday and said there was a 2 cm lesion and his first recommendation was sedation.  Is this going to be that painful to remove when it is that large?

[Mario Tuchman, DMD, MD]

The brief history and description you are giving us makes the diagnosis of a mucocele very likely.  However a clinical exam and biopsy would be necessary to make it definitive.  I would recommend seeing an oral surgeon to biopsy or remove the mass.  It could also be a fibroma (benign) and both are typically straightforward to remove.
Good luck,
Dr T

Information contained within this reply is intended solely for general educational purposes and is not intended nor implied to be a medical diagnosis or treatment recommendation.  This is not a substitute for professional medical advice relative to your specific medical condition or question. Always seek the advice of your own doctor for medical condition. Only your doctor can provide specific diagnoses and therapies.