young child with extensive lesions may require hospitalization for intravenous hydration ORAL MUCOSAL SOFT TISSUE PATHOLOGY Goals of Treatment A variety of soft tissue lesions in the mouth may prompt evaluation in the ED The challenge for the emergency physician is to determine if the clinical picture represents a normal variant or abnormal pathology that requires further management in the ED or a referral to a dental specialist Many of the issues described below are self-limited and require minimal intervention CLINICAL PEARLS AND PITFALLS Eruption cysts and neonatal cysts not require treatment Treatment is palliative for HSV-1 infections (see above), aphthous stomatitis, and Riga–Fede disease Mucoceles require excision when they persist or interfere with mastication