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Lymphoepithelial cyst - Oral Mucosal Lesion
Other Resources UpToDate PubMed

Lymphoepithelial cyst - Oral Mucosal Lesion

Contributors: Carl Allen DDS, MSD, Sook-Bin Woo MS, DMD, MMSc
Other Resources UpToDate PubMed

Synopsis

The oral lymphoepithelial cyst arises from proliferation of epithelium within lymphoid or tonsillar tissue. Some believe this epithelium represents enclaved or "trapped" epithelium while others believe it is of salivary gland origin. It generally occurs in the fourth decade of life with an equal sex predilection. The patient may feel a painless lump or swelling that is slow-growing.

Codes

ICD10CM:
L72.3 – Sebaceous cyst

SNOMEDCT:
67045005 – Lymphoepithelial cyst of mouth

Look For

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Diagnostic Pearls

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Differential Diagnosis & Pitfalls

  • Lipomas – These tend to occur on the buccal mucosa, rather than where lymphoid tissue is present.
  • Epidermoid and dermoid cysts – These tend to occur in the midline of the floor of the mouth and are generally larger.
  • Hyperplastic lymphoid tissue
  • Hyperplastic Fordyce spots (sebaceous glands)
  • Granular cell tumors – These may be yellow but they tend to be firm and deeper in the mucosa.

Best Tests

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Management Pearls

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Therapy

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References

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Last Updated:01/19/2015
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Lymphoepithelial cyst - Oral Mucosal Lesion
A medical illustration showing key findings of Lymphoepithelial cyst : Floor of mouth, Oral cyst, Soft palate/tonsillar, Ventral tongue, Yellow color, Oral nodule
Clinical image of Lymphoepithelial cyst - imageId=2503988. Click to open in gallery.  caption: 'A translucent yellowish papule on the frenulum.'
A translucent yellowish papule on the frenulum.
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