Mucocele of salivary gland

**Definition:** This is a clinical term used to describe a bluish, soft, often fluctuant swelling caused by either blockage or rupture of a salivary gland duct.

**Long definition:** This is a cavity dilated with accumulated mucous extravasation; mucous retention cyst. maxillary sinus m., maxillary sinus retention cyst. Collectively, the mucocele, the oral ranula, and the cervical, or plunging, ranula are clinical terms for a pseudocyst that is associated with mucus extravasation into the surrounding soft tissues. These lesions occur as the result of trauma or obstruction to the salivary gland excretory duct and spillage of mucin into the surrounding soft tissues.