A Rare Presentation of Mucous Retention Cyst with Squamous Metaplasia in the Submandibular Region: A Case Report

Mucous retention cysts represent an obstruction of salivary gland ducts and lesions that can be considered to be benign, generally involving minor salivary glands in the oral cavity.This cyst may exhibit epithelial transformation characterized by squamous metaplasia or the presence of goblet-like cells.Such occurrences are rare in the submandibular region; however, this has been noted to occur in other pathologies, warranting an organized approach.Typically, the cyst presents as a smooth nodule, which may be single or multiple.We report the case of a 29-year-old male who complained of a swelling on the left side of the neck that had progressively increased over the past 3 months.Upon clinical examination, there was no tenderness and inflammation around the neck, and this was confirmed to be a firm swelling in the left submandibular region when imaging techniques were used.Ultrasound imaging suggested a mucous retention cyst; with fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC), the diagnosis was confirmed by the presence of mucinous and inflammatory content.The patient was taken for surgical excision under general anesthesia, and the specimen was sent for histopathological evaluation, which indicated a diagnosis of squamous metaplasia of a mucous retention cyst.The patient did well postoperatively and remained asymptomatic on follow-up with no signs of recurrence.Managing neck cysts requires careful formulation so as to exclude benign salivary gland cysts from the clinical picture, and this can be achieved through imaging and cytological assessment.Despite the fact that timely intervention remains eloquent in total muscular relief, further analysis demonstrates the scale of the challenge.Furthermore, the report emphasizes that better results can be obtained in such cases with an accurate approach towards diagnosis and management of the disease.