title: Successful medical treatment for ranula in children.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We compare the outcome of medical treatment for ranula versus surgery in children.
  
  
  METHODS
  Multicentric cohort study.
  
  
  METHODS
  The case series includes 37 children with ranulas (diameter 2.7 ± 1.5 cm). Eighteen patients, including 3 who had relapsed after either simple marsupialization or ranula removal alone, received oral nickel gluconate, mercurius heel, and glandula submandibularis suis D10/D30/D200. Fifteen cases underwent marsupialization with packing, and 2 underwent sublingual gland and ranula en-bloc excision. Two patients who recovered spontaneously shortly after diagnosis were excluded.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No recurrences occurred among medical patients. Of the 17 surgical patients, 3 treated with marsupialization with packing relapsed. With the 3 surgical failures from other centers a total of 6 of 20 relapses were considered. Swelling or tension was common in surgical cases but unusual in medical patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In this case series oral medical treatment for ranula was very effective and more effective than marsupialization with packing.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Surgery, Regina Margherita Children's Hospital, Turin, Italy. Electronic address: drsalvatoregarofalo@yahoo.it.
authors.forename: Salvatore
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Garofalo
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, University of Turin, Italy.
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mussa
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, University of Turin, Italy.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mostert
authors.affiliation: Unit of Radiology, St. Anna Hospital, Turin, Italy.
authors.forename: Liana
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Suteu
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Surgery, Regina Margherita Children's Hospital, Turin, Italy.
authors.forename: Simona
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Vinardi
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Surgery, Regina Margherita Children's Hospital, Turin, Italy.
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gamba
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Surgery, Regina Margherita Children's Hospital, Turin, Italy.
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lonati
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Surgery, Regina Margherita Children's Hospital, Turin, Italy.
authors.forename: Elisabetta
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Teruzzi
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Surgery, Regina Margherita Children's Hospital, Turin, Italy.
authors.forename: Nicola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tommasoni
authors.affiliation: Magnetic Resonance Imaging Unit, Koelliker Hospital, Turin, Italy.
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bassignana
authors.affiliation: Unit of Radiology, Regina Margherita Children's Hospital, Turin, Italy.
authors.forename: Guido
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Masi
authors.affiliation: Department of Odontostomatologic and Maxillo-Facial Sciences, University Federico II, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Gaetano
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Marenzi
authors.affiliation: Department of Odontostomatologic and Maxillo-Facial Sciences, University Federico II, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Gilberto
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sammartino
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, Department of Medical Science, University of Eastern Piedmont, Novara, Italy; Oral Surgery, Regina Margherita Children's Hospital, Turin, Italy.
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mortellaro
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003952:Diagnostic Imaging; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D011900:Ranula / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy*; D019233:Retreatment; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome