Management of infant ranula.
OBJECTIVE
Many surgical techniques to manage ranulas have been described in the literature. Ranula of infant patients was rare. Few studies have described the approach toward management in infant patients.


METHODS
Eleven infant patients were treated for intraoral ranulas. The methods of treatment included aspiration of mucus, marsupialization and excision of the ranula and the ipsilateral sublingual gland. All cases were performed aspiration of mucus and observed for 6 months; and the marsupialization were recommended if the ranula recurred; the surgical resection of ipsilateral sublingual gland were performed if the ranula recurred when infant patients was about 1-year-old. These patients were followed up at least 24 months.


RESULTS
Age of presentation ranged from 2 days to 3 months. There were six females (54.55%) and five males (45.45%). All cases presented simple (introral) ranula. Excision ranula with sublingual gland was performed on seven patients (63.64%) while marsupialization was performed on two patients (18.18%) and two patients (18.18%) were aspiration of the mucus of ranula and no recurrence. There were no recurrent lesions in all cases.


CONCLUSIONS
Conservative treatment of infant ranula maybe includes observation for 6 months for spontaneous resolution. The methods for observation is performed the aspiration of mucus and marsupialization. The resection of ipsilateral sublingual gland is recommended if ranula recurred for infant patients about 1-year-old. We believe that it is safe that the submandibular duct and complete sublingual nerve are dissected before the sublingual gland is removed.
Zhi
Keqian
K
Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery/Oncological Head and Neck Surgery, College of Stomatology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Number 98, Xiwu Road, Xi'an, ShaanXi 710004, China. zhikeqian@sina.com
Wen
Yumin
Y
Ren
Wenhao
W
Zhang
Yincheng
Y
D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D009061:Mouth Mucosa; D019647:Oral Surgical Procedures; D011900:Ranula / Q000601:surgery*; D013361:Sublingual Gland / Q000601:surgery; D013396:Suction