A case report of Plunging ranula with metastatic adenocarcinoma

ABSTRACT

The plunging ranula is a kind of ranula that goes over the mouth floor to the neck and other adjacent tissue. Sublingual gland is gently accepted as origin of plunging ranula. Plunging ranula develops commonly because of rupture of sublingual gland duct by trauma and extravasation of salivary secretion to the adjacent tissue. It is not true cyst so that there is no epithelium. And it consisted with thin connective tissue, inflammation cell infiltration and salivary secretion. Left without treatment, it can grow into the 10 cm more huge lesion. This report is a case of 73 years old female who was diagnosed as plunging ranula with review of literature. She presented 5 cm submandibular swelling at first. When surgery was delayed because of patient's condition, the lesion grew into the 12cm huge size. We performed excision of sublingual gland, submandibular gland and plunging ranula and had a good result without recurrence.