A swelling of connective tissue consisting of a collection of fluid called mucin.
This occurs because of a ruptured salivary gland duct usually caused by local trauma (damage), in the case of mucus extravasation phenomenon, and an obstructed or ruptured salivary duct (parotid duct) in the case of a mucus retention cyst.
Although the term cyst is often used to refer to these lesions, mucoceles are not strictly speaking true cysts because there is no epithelial lining.
It would be more accurate to classify mucoceles as polyps (i.e. a lump).
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