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A Guide to Clinical Differential Diagnosis of Oral Mucosal Lesions

Course Number: 110

Table 8. Soft Tissue Cysts

SOFT TISSUE CYSTS
Compressible; well-circumscribed; asymptomatic; slowly growing; overlying mucosa is normal.
Gingival cystLocated on attached gingiva anterior to 1st molars
Lymphoepithelial cystUsually has yellow color; occurs in floor of mouth, ventral & lateral surfaces of tongue, soft palate & tonsillar area; also occurs in anterior cervical lymph node chain (branchial cleft or cervical lymphoepithelial cyst)
Epidermoid or dermoid cyst“Doughy” to palpation; usually occurs in floor of mouth; occurs commonly in skin
Thyroglossal tract cystOccurs in midline of neck; may be attached to hyoid bone & moves when patient swallows
Nasolabial cystLocated in maxillary labial fold & ala of nose area
  • These are cysts, but they have the clinical & historical features of benign neoplasms.