Ranula
Pronunciation: RAN-yoo-luh
A mucocele arising specifically from the sublingual salivary gland, presenting as a bluish, fluctuant swelling in the floor of the mouth; a plunging ranula extends through the mylohyoid muscle into the neck.
Full Definition
A ranula is a sublingual mucocele, presenting as a unilateral, blue-domed, fluctuant swelling in the floor of the mouth resulting from extravasation or retention of mucin from the sublingual gland or its ducts. The 'plunging' or 'cervical' ranula is a variant in which mucin herniates through the mylohyoid muscle, producing a cervical neck swelling with minimal intraoral component. Editors should preserve the distinction between a simple ranula (entirely intraoral) and a plunging ranula (cervical extension), as these have different surgical management. 'Ranula' is derived from the Latin rana (frog) due to its resemblance to a frog's belly.
Usage
Usage note: Always specify 'plunging ranula' when cervical extension is present; do not omit the qualifier. Distinguish from a general mucocele, which refers to minor salivary gland duct pathology at other sites.
In Context
- "The plunging ranula presented as a soft cervical swelling with a concurrent subtle fullness in the floor of the mouth." — Maxillofacial surgery case report
- "A ranula must be distinguished from a dermoid cyst of the floor of the mouth, as treatment approaches differ." — Differential diagnosis textbook section