Do you feel a granite on the palate or a kind of ball? The palate is the upper wall of the inside of the mouth and is divided into two areas, the hard palate, which is made up of bone, and the soft palate, which is located at the back. This wall is usually a bit greasy and moist; we can find various nerves and salivary glands, which often intervene in the origin of an abnormal lump. This Lump is usually painless, and its location on the roof of the mouth, as well as its coloration, shape, and contour, can help determine what causes it.
It would help if you went to your doctor before any strange mass you locate in the oral cavity; However, the most common is that it is not a harmful condition; there is also the possibility that it is due to a malignant tumor and the time in which it is starting treatment will be essential for your improvement. For this reason, in this FastlyHealarticle, we explain everything you need to know about a lump on the palate: causes.
Table of Contents
Non-painful palate lump due to mucocele
The surface or mucous cyst mucocele is widespread, it causes no pain and does not represent a serious situation, but it can become annoying or unsightly. It can affect both men and women, although it is mainly seen in children.
A small soft palate lump appears due to an accumulation of salivary fluid. This tiny ball on the palate may look like a blister, but it cannot be broken, unlike this one, since it is covered by a thick layer of tissue and is located in the deepest part of the dermis. However, the most frequent areas of appearance are the inner part of the lip or just below the tongue.
Causes and treatment of mucocele
The mucocele is caused by trauma, usually by moderating the lip, which leads to a rupture of the salivary gland vessel. Consequently, there is a loss of saliva that contributes to its accumulation in the epithelial planes and, therefore, to the appearance of the Lump.
It is usually not painful and usually goes away on its own. However, it will be necessary to remove the mucocele by surgery when they become a chronic condition or if they cause pain or annoying friction when eating or speaking.
You mustn’t try to eliminate them on your own, as this could lead to some infection and tissue injury, only a specialist should do it, and he will evaluate the condition and establish the cause.
In the following article, we show some home remedies for mucoceles.
Palatine torus: hard Lump on the palate
Another cause of a lump on the palate is the palatine torus or palatal ridge, protrusions configured by bone tissue that grow in the midline of the palate.
Causes and treatment of palatine torus
Its origin is genetic, and the exact causes of its appearance are unknown. It usually doesn’t cause symptoms, so many people don’t realize they have it. It is rugged in appearance, grows slowly, is painless, and is not related to cancer.
If it is a considerable size, it may cause discomfort when eating, damaging the oral mucosa. This condition does not usually have clinical relevance, but surgical removal is carried out when the palatal ridge compromises the functioning or health of the oral cavity.
Pyogenic granuloma: pink and softball on the palate
A lump on the palate can also be a pyogenic granuloma, a pink or reddish ball on the palate soft and delicate consistency that can bleed if injured.
Causes and treatment of pyogenic granuloma
The exact causes have not yet been determined. Still, it is considered that several factors are involved, such as dental plaque, some damage or trauma in the area repeatedly, irritation on the mucosa, which causes ulceration, and there is an alteration in the formation of the tissue of the granulation.
This condition is often suffered by pregnant women and puberty patients due to the hormonal changes they experience, but it can affect people of any age. The pyogenic granuloma can disappear spontaneously if it is small, or it may require minor surgery to be removed if it is more extensive.
Pleomorphic adenoma of the salivary glands
Pleomorphic salivary gland adenoma, also known as a benign mixed tumor or benign salivary gland neoplasm, is the most common benign tumor of the salivary glands. A non-cancerous palate lump is slowly growing, painless, and may go unnoticed for a long time if not previously diagnosed.
A higher incidence has been observed in people between 40 and 50 years of life, and in most cases, they are women. This mass or Lump is covered by the oral mucosa and is frequently located between the hard and soft palate, on one side of the midline, at the level of the molars, where there are numerous salivary glands.
At the time of ingestion, with the passage of time and the growth of the tumor, the mucosa that covers it is usually damaged, causing possible consequences of voice changes or discomfort when eating. Even when removed, the Lump on the palate can reappear, especially if it was not completely removed. Malignant transformation is possible, but this usually only occurs after this ball on the palate has remained in the oral cavity for 15 to 20 years.
Malignant tumor of the salivary glands
The Lump on the palate can cause a malignant tumor, whether it is located on the hard or soft palate. Frequently, no symptoms are seen beyond the Lump, which can often cause inflammation of the palate and pain.
Although anyone is susceptible to suffering from it, there are more cases in adults, and the risk of presenting it increases if they have the habit of smoking or constantly consume alcoholic beverages. The tumor can be derived from a benign tumor that is recurrent or not eliminated. However, it is also possible to develop without having suffered from this antecedent, primarily an accelerated growth.
Another type of tumor is adenoid cystic carcinoma or cylindroma; in the hard palate, it appears as a fixed protrusion, evolves very quickly, and invades the nervous tissue, which causes an alteration in the sensitivity is one of the main symptoms of your diagnosis.
It is also possible that the Lump on the palate is diagnosed as a mucoepidermoid carcinoma tumor with different degrees of malignancy since its evolution can range from very slow to very accelerated. At this point, it is capable of metastasizing and being fatal. It usually has the appearance of a purplish ulcer at first, but as it matures, a well-defined, fixed, painless, bluish-red mass is distinguished.
In any case, the specialist’s intervention will be of the utmost importance to start the treatment that corresponds to each type of tumor and the degree of development in which it is found.
Lump on the palate: how do you know if it is benign or malignant?
Generally, most lumps on the palate are benign and not cancerous; however, in the presence of a ball or pellet on the palate, it is advisable to consult with the doctor to undergo a complete review and know what the cause is. Exact.
Go to the doctor if, in addition to the Lump on the palate, you have any of these symptoms:
- Swollen palate or inflammation in another area of the mouth, jaw, or neck.
- Numbness in one part of the face.
- Muscle weakness on one side of the face.
- Constant pain in the palate.
- Swallowing difficulties
- Difficulty opening your mouth a lot.
Be aware that malignant tumors can invade nerves and cause local or regional pain, numbness, paresthesia, or loss of motor function.
This article is merely informative, at FastlyHeal .com we do not have the power to prescribe medical treatments or make any type of diagnosis. We invite you to see a doctor in the case of presenting any type of condition or discomfort.
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I am a Surgeon with a diploma in comprehensive ultrasound and surgical care residency, an area I am specializing in. During the exercise of my profession, I have realized the need for patients to know the diseases they suffer, and I can tell you that a large part of their complications is due to a lack of information. Being a health web writer allows me to transmit my experience, without borders, to all those readers eager for knowledge, educate them in the prevention of diseases and promote a healthy lifestyle.