Caliber-persistent labial artery.

Caliber-persistent labial artery presents as a soft tissue elevation of labial mucosa that can be bluish or normal in color, disappears when stretched, and pulsates on gentle palpation. Often the artery can be visualized through the stretched mucosa. Such lesions occur in an elderly population (average age = 58 years), are equally distributed between males and females, and are twice as common in the upper lip than in the lower (Figs. 4 & 5). The occurrence of multiple lesions has been reported, along with increased incidence of other vascular lesions. The [figure: see text] lesions are usually asymptomatic with a few being associated with surface ulceration. When the lesion is clinically mistaken for a mucocele, fibroma [figure: see text] or other vascular lesion and biopsied, brisk bleeding is encountered.