Mucocele of the glands of Blandin-Nuhn: clinical and histopathologic analysis of 26 cases

We investigated the clinical and histopathologic features of 26 cases of mucocele of the glands of Blandin-Nuhn. There was a female predominance, and most patients were younger than 20 years. Fifteen patients first visited a medical doctor and 9 visited a dentist before being referred to our department. The average duration from the time the lesion was first noticed to the patient's visit was 3.6 months. All lesions were located on the ventral surface of the tongue. In 17 patients, mucoceles were seen at the tip of the tongue, whereas 9 lesions occurred more posteriorly. Lesions were situated at the midline in 19 patients and laterally in 7 patients. All lesions presented as an exophytic mass, often with a polypoid appearance. All mucoceles were histopathologically of the extravasation type, suggesting that trauma may represent a frequent initiating factor.