Bump on Inside of Lip

When a bump appears on the inside of the lip, it is often diagnosed as oral mucocele. This is a type of cyst that commonly appears on the inside of the lower lip. It is also known as the mucous retention cyst, mucous extravasation cyst or the mucous cyst of the oral mucosa. The oral mucocele is also presented in the medical literature as the mucous retention and the extravasation phenomena. There are two processes involved in the appearance of a bump on the inside of the lip. The first is represented by the mucous extravasation and the second is the development of the mucous cyst.

The bump on side of lip appears after the connective tissue has swollen and fluid collects in the cyst. The fluid contained in the mucocele is mucin. In case of mucous extravasation, local trauma or damage leads to the rupture of a salivary gland. The mucous cyst can occur when the salivary gland is either obstructed or ruptured. There is no sex prevalence but it seems that the condition is often encountered in children and young adults. The bump on side of the lip is often diagnosed as a disorder of the salivary glands. It is rarely found on the upper lip and it can also appear in other areas of the mouth, such as the cheek, tongue and mouth floor.

Causes of Bump on Inside of Lip

These are the most common causes that lead to the appearance of a bump on inside of the lip:

• Ruptured or obstructed salivary gland due to:
  • Local trauma or damage, such as getting hit in the face
  • Repeated biting or chewing of the lower lip (constant aggression on the salivary gland)
  • Mechanical injury in the process of mastication
  • Chronic irritation of the oral cavity (excessive and prolonged smoking, eating spicy foods, drinking hot beverages)
  • Surgical intervention (trauma done to the salivary gland)
  • There is also a congenital variant (result of birth trauma)
  • Burns in the oral cavity
  • Oral infections
• Aphthous ulcer
• Lipoma
• Salivary gland tumor (benign growth)
• Submucosal abscess
• Hemangiomas
• Oral lichen planus
• Medication – there are certain drugs that can have side-effects on the salivary glands
• Lip piercings

Treatment

In a lot of patients, the bump on the inside of the lip disappears on its own, without requiring any specific treatment (the healing process lasts somewhere from three to six weeks). The healing period is dependent on the size of the bump and other pre-existing conditions. Clobetasol or gamma-linolenic acid topical applications are recommended for superficial bumps but these treatments do not prevent the risk of recurrence.

Chronic bumps on the inside of the lip require surgical removal. The procedure is simple: an incision is made on the inside of the lower lip and the bump (oral mucocele) is removed. In the first days after the operation, the patient is recommended to avoid moving the lips. The recovery period after the surgery is on average of two weeks. Also, in the initial period after the surgery, the patient is recommended to include only soft foods and liquids into the diet. In many patients, the removal does not guarantee the permanent treatment, as there is a high risk of re-occurrence. If the bump on the inside of the lip continues to re-appear, then the doctor might recommend the excision of the salivary glands.

There are different procedures (these are minimally-invasive, which translates into faster recovery time and less risk for side-effects) that are recommended for the surgical removal of the oral mucocele:

• Laser removal – this is recommended for smaller cysts
• Micro-marsupialization
• Drainage and aspiration

There are also home remedies you can consider for the treatment of bumps on inside of the lip, including salt water rinses. This is recommended in cases of a bump that is small or one that has been recently identified. Patients are recommended to avoid constantly biting or chewing their lip, so as to reduce the risk of re-occurrence.

Applying alum to the bump has shown to reduce the inflammation and also to reduce the risk of secondary infections. The substance should be kept to the site of the mucocele for a quarter of an hour and then washed off with antiseptic mouthwash. Other home remedies for bump on side of the lip include: primrose oil, castor oil and honey. However, before trying out home remedies, it is recommended that you visit a doctor and see what treatment options you have available.

Other options of treatment include:

• Cryotherapy – liquid nitrogen is used to eliminate the bump inside the lip; however, this procedure is not the first course of treatment, as there are serious side-effects to take into consideration (blistering, ulceration)
• Intralesional injections with corticosteroids – this is one of the methods that allow for the inflammation to be reduced and the healing process to be accelerated.

Pictures

Here are some of the pictures of the Bump on Inside of Lip…