Oral mucoceles

Aim: The aim of this study was to describe the clinicopathological features of an oral mucoceles series, with emphasis on the unusual histological variants. Methods: Between 2000 and 2019, all oral mucoceles diagnosed at a Brazilian Oral Pathology Laboratory, were analyzed. All slides stained in hematoxylin-eosin (HE) were reviewed for confirmation of diagnosis. The collected data were analyzed using the IBM SPSS Statistics software, version 24.0, obtaining the descriptive statistical analysis in absolute and relative numbers for all the described variables. Results: From the 6,875 oral lesions, 401 (5.83%) were mucoceles. There was a predilection for females (58.6%), and the most affected site was the lower lip (78.8%). Excision was the treatment of choice for the most patients (68.1%). Among the uncommon histological variants, the superficial mucoceles (6.2%) were the most common, and the least frequent was the clear cells changes (0.5%). In 225 (56.1%) lesions, the predominant mucus was of the myxoid type. Conclusion: Although most mucoceles did not represent a diagnostic challenge, they may present unusual histological variants. Thus, depending on the histological variant, other lesions, including neoplasms, should be considered in the histopathological differential diagnosis.