A salivary mucocele is a collection of saliva that has leaked from a damaged salivary gland or
salivary duct, and has accumulated in the tissues. This is often noted as a fluctuant, painless
swelling of the neck or within the oral cavity. While often called a salivary cyst, mucoceles are
lined by inflammatory tissue (called granulation tissue) which is secondary to the inflammation
caused by the free saliva in the tissues, while a cyst is lined by epithelial (glandular) tissue which is
itself responsible for the production of the fluid. Salivary mucocele may be classified as follows: