Mucocele of Ventral Tongue Surface Treated with Diode Laser: Case Report

Abstract

Background: Mucoceles are harmless cystic lesions of the oral mucosa. Mucoceles are fluid-filled swellings that typically appear on the lower lip, floor of the mouth, or inner cheeks after trauma or obstruction of salivary ducts. Case presentation: A 10-year-old healthy female pediatrics patient, accompanied by her parents, was referred from the pediatric department to oral medicine. The patient presented with a recurrent painless swelling under her tongue for 2 months with pain when biting on it. Intraoral examination showed a pandiculated nodule on the anterior ventral surface of the tongue with overlying normal mucosa. The lesion was removed under local anesthesia (mepivacaine 2%) using a 940 nm diode laser (Epic Biolase, Irvine, CA, USA) with an initiated E4–4mm surgical tip. The patient reported minimal pain and discomfort. After one month, the patient was seen for a post-operative evaluation visit with no recurrence of the lesion and no complaints. The histological diagnosis confirmed the initial diagnosis of extravasation mucocele. Conclusion: The effective use of diode lasers in the current case demonstrates the efficacy of this minimally invasive therapy method. This method not only ensured that the mucocele was completely removed, but it also contributed to less postoperative pain and a speedier recovery.