DEFINITION/OVERVIEW
- Salivary mucoceles are nonepithelial-lined cavities filled with saliva that has leaked from a damaged salivary gland or duct and are surrounded by granulation tissue that forms secondary to inflammation caused by the free saliva.
- There are four major pairs of salivary glands: parotid, mandibular, sublingual, and zygomatic. Smaller buccal salivary glands are located in the soft palate, lips, tongue, and cheeks.
- The types of mucoceles are listed in Table 53-1. The most common type occurs with rupture of the sublingual duct.
Table 53-1 Types of Mucoceles
| Salivary mucocele type | Location | Gland/duct involved |
| Cervical mucocele | Intermandibular space, jaw angle, upper cervical region | Sublingual |
| Ranula | Sublingual tissues | Mandibular or sublingual |
| Pharyngeal mucocele | Pharyngeal wall | Sublingual |
| Zygomatic mucocele | Ventral to the globe | Zygomatic |
| Parotid mucocele | Angle of the jaw, ventral to ear | Parotid |
| Complex mucoceles | Depending on gland/duct involvement | Two or more glands/ducts |
ETIOLOGY/PATHOPHYSIOLOGY
- Cause is rarely identified. Suspected causes are as follows:
- Blunt trauma to the head and neck (choke chains)
- Bite wound
- Penetrating foreign body
- Ear canal surgery
- Sialoliths
- Dirofiliariasis
- Blunt trauma to the head and neck (choke chains)
SIGNALMENT/HISTORY
- Three times more frequent in dogs than in cats
- All breeds are susceptible; commonly affected breeds include miniature poodles (pharyngeal mucoceles), German shepherds, dachshunds, and Australian silky terriers
- Slight predisposition of males compared with females
- No age predisposition
CLINICAL FEATURES
- Cervical mucocele
- Soft, fluctuant, minimal, or nonpainful gradually developing cervical mass
- Pain is usually manifested only during the acute-manifestation phase of the mucocele
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- Soft, fluctuant, minimal, or nonpainful gradually developing cervical mass
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