What causes tongue gland cysts?

The tongue is an important component of the oral cavity and is also the way the body secretes saliva. If a cyst appears on the tongue, it will affect the secretion of saliva, thereby affecting the digestion of food, which will affect the health of the stomach and intestines, so it should be treated in time. Tongue cysts may be caused by blockage and damage of the sublingual gland duct, or they may be caused by inflammation. It is better to check the specific cause clearly.

Sublingual cysts are located at the floor of the mouth, on the side of the frenulum, and are transparent with a slightly bluish appearance. The cyst wall is very thin and can be pushed by the covering oral mucosa. The contents are colorless viscous liquid. Sublingual gland cysts are sometimes very large and can extend from under the frenulum of the tongue to the opposite side, or they can extend deep into the floor of the mouth, protrude under the neck, lift the tongue, and affect speaking and eating. The causes of this disease are as follows:

1. Sublingual gland duct obstruction:

Due to the blockage of the distal end of the glandular duct and the continued secretion of the mucosa, the proximal end expands to form an epithelial cyst, which is called a sublingual gland cyst. Causes include injury, salivary gland stones, and inflammatory irritation at the bottom of the mouth. The cyst is located at the floor of the mouth and is light blue in color. The most common cyst is 1 cm in diameter, but there are also significantly enlarged cysts.

2. Sublingual gland damage:

The other is due to glandular damage, mucus leakage into the tissue space, forming a cyst without epithelial lining. Extravasation cysts have an obvious history of trauma, do not involve the bone cortex, and do not cause facial protrusion deformity. They are often discovered during pain, tooth extraction, and X-ray examination.

The following points should be noted when diagnosing this disease:

1. It is common in children and adolescents.

2. The cyst is located under the mucosa on one side of the floor of the mouth. It is a light blue tumor with a thin cyst wall and a soft texture.

3. Larger sublingual gland cysts can penetrate the mylohyoid muscle into the submandibular area and may also affect the opposite floor of the mouth.

4. The cyst may rupture due to trauma, and a sticky egg white-like fluid may flow out. The cyst will disappear temporarily, and after a few days, the wound will heal and the cyst will grow as before.

5. When the cyst becomes infected, swelling and pain may occur at the bottom of the mouth, affecting eating.

6. It should be differentiated from hemangioma, lymphangioma, and dermoid cyst at the floor of the mouth, mainly by examination of the puncture contents. Viscous liquid can be extracted from the sublingual gland cyst.