Analysis of Treatment Result According to Operative Methods for Ranula

Abstract

Background and Objectives Ranula is a type of pseudocyst caused by the leakage of saliva from the mouth floor, mainly the sublingual gland, and is classified into a simple ranula and a plunging ranula according to its location clinically. Currently known surgical treatment for ranula includes incision and drainage, marsupialization, ranula excision, and sublingual gland resection. The aim of this study was to help decision making for the treatment of ranula by analyzing the complications including the recurrence rate of each treatment.Subjects and Method We retrospectively reviewed 148 patients with ranula who had been treated from March 2000 to November 2019. All of the patients underwent one of the following treatments: incision and drainage, marsupialization, ranula excision, and sublingual gland resection. Complications including recurrence rate of each treatment were analyzed.Results Of 144 patients, 92 were simple ranula and 52 were plunging ranula. Four patients underwent incision and drainage, 24 patients with marsupialization, 12 patients with ranula excision, and 104 patients with sublingual gland resection. The recurrence rates according to the treatment of total ranula were 100%, 29.2%, 50.0%, and 8.7%, respectively, in the order of incision and drainage, marsupialization, ranula excision, and sublingual gland resection. There were no complications other than the recurrence of the ranula.Conclusion In the treatment of ranula, sublingual gland resection is considered to be the most appropriate method with minimal risk of complications and a low recurrence rate.