Case Report of Multiple Mucoceles Due to Persistent Lip Biting Related to Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

Case reports of multiple lip mucoceles are rare. This article presents a case report of a 9-year-old patient who presented with three mucoceles on the lower lip. Mucoceles, irritation fibromas, and other more ominous lesions require biopsy for differentiation and diagnosis. In this case, total excisional biopsy also became the definitive treatment. Concurrent with treatment of the lip lesions, the patient was also being treated for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which commonly involves depression and anxiety. It is not unusual for PTSD patients to exhibit body-focused repetitive behavior that, in turn, may involve persistent lip biting and other repeated behaviors. Thus, in this and similar cases of persistent lip biting, treatment not only involves surgical removal of the mucoceles but referral to an appropriate mental health professional for evaluation and treatment of PTSD.