hello everyone! i am new here and i need some re-assurance or hard cold facts and i am hoping you all can do that for me.
my husband went to the ent @ 3 weeks ago with an incrediblly painful cyst on the hard palate of his mouth, the drained it and didnt expect it to come back
a week ago it was back and yesterday they drained it, cut the skin around it and packed it. it was deeper than they thought and want him to get a ct of the hard palate. they want to rule out or conquer that it is a bone cyst.
can a bone cyst on your hard palate be cancer?
we just had a baby and i am freaking out. i have scoured the internet but i cant find ANYTHING on this. Does anyone know any good websites for things like this?
please please please help me~
thanks
colleen

Hello Colleen

Get a second opinion from an oral and maxillofacial surgeon. It could be a Median Palatal Cyst which is related to the Nasopalatine Cyst (incisive canal cyst) which is a midline cyst arising from embryonic epithelial rests in the nasopalatine canal; it is the most common nonodontogenic cyst in the maxilla. It is usually asymptomatic and by chance discovered radiologically. When enlarging, it may extend posteriorly into the hard palate; this is also called a medial palatal cyst. A nasopalatine cyst may also extend between the central incisors, causing divergence of these teeth; this condition is known as a medial alveolar cyst. Vitality of adjacent teeth should be confirmed to rule out a periapical cyst masquerading as NP cyst.

Note: The incisive canal is a midline bony canal, single or paired that traverses the anterior maxilla connecting the floor of the nasal cavity with the anterior hard palate. The oral entry to the canal is the anterior palatine foramen. Through the canal passes the nasopalatine nerves and vessels and remnants of the epithelial nasopalatine duct. The ducts are thought to be derived from a primitive olfactory organ, the vomeronasal organ of Jacobson, present in lower forms of life but vestigial in humans. The epithelial lining of nasopalatine cysts is derived from the ducts and is a mixture of squamous epithelium and pseudostratified ciliated columnar epithelium. The cyst wall characteristically has large nerve trunks and arteries coincidentally removed with the cyst. There is a tendency to overdiagnose this cyst. A large funnel-like opening to the anterior palatine foramen may produce a large radiolucent shadow that is mistaken for a cyst. And the vitality of the adjacent teeth should be confirmed because a periapical cyst on the central incisor teeth may radiographically resemble a NP cyst.

Hope that helps.

Best wishes
Vinod :coffee:

Thank you Dr Vinod.
Do you think I can rest a little that this is NOT cancer or should I keep my guard up?

Hi Colleen

No need to freak out - it is unlikely to be a cancer, but you do need to get a proper diagnosis by a maxillofacial surgeon (with dental background).

Best wishes
Vinod :coffee:

Thank you again!
So his scheduled CT is in 2 weeks
do you think we should wait for those results or do it beforehand?
Thank you thank you!

Hi Colleen

Get the second opinion. The CT only delineates the extent of the cyst. That might have some bearing on management/treatment but it does not make a diagnosis. Only the history, clinical examination and biopsy will do that.

Best wishes
Vinod :coffee:

Hi Vinod

Im sorry I keep on going - but I am just scared.
My husband really wants to wait to get a 2nd opinion until the cat scan being that the cyst is gone (externally - he refuses to believe its on his bone). He hates doctors.
Is there any medical advice I could give him to talk him into a second opinion, and if I cant do you think it would be ok to wait the 2 weeks.
Again - my apologies for being redundant.
Thanks
A very sleep deprived new mom and loving wife
Ps...you really dont think its cancer right?

Colleen, welcome to our site. Calm down sweetheart, you have a lot going on right now, new baby and then this! It is always best to get a second opinion when you are talking about our lives or our bodies. It is just a smart thing to do. Most of the time the second opinion is right in line with the first one, sometimes they are different as night and day...You will really be at ease to have them both tho. This way there is no second guessing one day down the road..I am so sorry that you are so upset, bless your heart. It is such a scary time tho. We here all know this to well..If you need to talk or vent, we are all here. In the mean time God bless you and your family and we will all be praying for you. There is another cancer site, it is the USA one.It is oralcancer.org. Maybe someone there can help you as well.I pray that they can..Always Vicki Lynn.

Vicki - that was the nicest thing I heard all day.
Wow. Thank you.