Immunohistochemical Experiments on Oral Mucoceles: A Narrative Review

Oral mucoceles are among the most common benign salivary gland lesions, characterized by mucus extravasation or retention within the oral mucosa. This review aims to collect findings regarding the application of immunohistochemistry (IHC) in mucoceles and evaluate its efficiency. An electronic literature search was performed to identify all articles investigating IHC in oral mucoceles. The search was conducted using MEDLINE (National Library of Medicine)-PubMed, ScienceDirect-Elsevier, and the Cochrane Library without restrictions concerning the date of publication, using the following keywords: ((oral mucocele) OR (lip mucocele)) AND (immunohistochemistry). This was followed by a manual search, and references were screened to identify additional relevant articles. The review showed no mucocele staining of HPV16 L1 and B19V VP1/VP2. MMP-1, MMP-2, MMP-9, α-SMA, mast cell tryptase, CD68, CD34, MCM3, p27, HBD-1, -2, and -3, D2-40, AGEs, IGF-1, IR, Ki-67, and CEA were present to some extent in the samples. Human DNA mismatch repair proteins hMSH2, hMLH1, and p53 protein were increased post-bone marrow transplantation. Type IV collagenases and plasminogen activators were present as well. Accurate diagnosis and differentiation from other oral lesions relies on conventional histopathology, while IHC assists in atypical or recurrent cases. IHC employs epithelial, inflammatory, and mucin-specific markers to enhance diagnostic precision. There may be differences in the immunohistochemical profile between mucoceles in pediatric and adult populations, as well as between mucous retention cysts and mucous extravasation cysts. Novel biomarkers may shed light on mucocele pathogenesis and improve diagnostic accuracy.