Huge Submandibular Gland Mucocele With Diagnostic Difficulties

Abstract

: Submandibular gland mucoceles, which are very rare cystic lesions, make differentiation from other cystic neck masses such as plunging ranula and cystic lymphatic malformation difficult. The authors report a rare huge submandibular gland mucocele with diagnostic difficulties. A 39-year-old woman with painless swelling in the left submandibular region underwent OK-432 injection therapy with a diagnosis of plunging ranula at another hospital. However, she was referred to our department for recurrent swelling. Computed tomography showed a well-circumscribed, multilocular, low-density lesion in the left submandibular region. Fine needle aspiration was performed, and the content of the cystic lesion was yellowish-brown serous fluid. After the fine needle aspiration, computed tomography was performed. The cystic lesion was radiologically diagnosed as submandibular gland mucocele. Therefore, the patient underwent endoscopically-assisted intraoral removal of the sublingual and submandibular glands under general anesthesia. The pathological diagnosis was submandibular gland mucocele.