Plunging Ranula : A Case Report

Abstract

A ranula is a bluish, transparent, and thin-walled swelling in the floor of the mouth. They originate from the extravasation and subsequent accumulation of saliva from the sublingual gland. The most common presentation of ranula is a painless, slowgrowing, soft, and movable mass located in the floor of the mouth. Ranula may be simple or plunging. Simple ranula often present as masses in the floor of the mouth, limited to the mucous membranes. Diving ranulas extend through the facial plans, usually posterior to the mylohyoid muscle into the neck, and present as cervical masses. A 25yr old male presented with a complaint of a large swelling in the right submandibular region. On plain MRI a fairly large, well defined cystic mass is seen in the right sublingual and submandibular spaces without septae. Provisional diagnosis of plunging ranula is made and excision done by intraoral approach.