Ranula Management: Suggested Modifications in the Micro-Marsupialization Technique

Among the mucus retention phenomena, ranula is an important pathological condition because there is no consensus as to its treatment. Ranula is characterized by an accumulation of saliva on the floor of the mouth, so named because of its nodular bluish color (or buccal membrane of similar color, depending on the depth of the lesion) that resembles the aerated vocal sac of a frog. Several treatments for ranula have been proposed, including excision of the ranula with or without removal of the sublingual gland, marsupi-alization with or without cauterization of the roof of the lesion, excision of the lesion and sublingual gland, drainage of the lesion, and micro-marsupialization. This wide variety of techniques often generates indecision regarding the best option for treating ranula.