Surgical Management of Extensive Plunging Ranula in a Newborn with A Review of Literature

Abstract

Ranula is an oral floor cyst, originating from the extravasation of salivary mucus from the sublingual gland due to obstruction of the gland ducts. This report presents the case of an extensive congenital plunging ranula in a 19-day-old male newborn. The infant presented easy fatigue, with delay in the time of the feedings during breastfeeding due to volumetric enlargement in mouth floor and ventral tongue regions since birth. The therapeutic proposal was marsupialization of the lesion. However, during surgery, due to the ranula’s location and the possibility of relapse, the enucleation of the lesion was performed. Infant was kept intubated in the neonatal ICU for three days and was under nasogastric fed for seven days. Excision of the ranula and maintenance of intubation was done until the reduction of post-operative oedema prevented intercurrences in the post-operative period and allowed a good clinical evolution of the child who recovered his respiratory and digestive function.

Keywords

• floor of the mouth
• infant
• salivary glands