Pediatric oral ranula: clinical follow-up study of 57 cases

Abstract

Objective: To present 57 cases of oral ranula in children, analyzing the clinical characteristics, treatment and outcome of these lesions. Methods: The clinical histories of patients diagnosed with oral ranula, seen between 1998 and 2008 at the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Unit of a reference Children's Hospital (0-14 years) were reviewed. All patients with clinical diagnosis of oral ranula were included. Results: Fifty-seven patients, 21 boys and 36 girls, with a mean age of 5.1 years were included in the study. Thirtytwo cases were located on the left side of the floor of the mouth. The lesion diameter varied between 1 and 3 cm in 27 cases, 22 were less than 1 cm, and 8 were larger than 3 cm. Fifty-four cases were asymptomatic and 3 ranulas had pain on swallowing. Twenty-two cases were resolved by opening with a tract dilator and 35 by marsupialization. Seven cases recurred at a mean of 12 months after treatment, three of these from the marsupialization group. Conclusion: The majority of the oral ranulas occurred in females, asymptomatic, on the left side of the floor of the mouth, with a mean size of 1 to 3 cm; all lesions were treated by surgery, of which 7 recurred.