Plunging ranula causing airway compromise in a child: a rare case / Farhana Kamaruzaman ... [et al.]

A plunging ranula is a rare cause of neck swelling. Typically, ranula presents with a gradual course and rarely causes acute respiratory impairment. We report the case of a 10-year-old Malay girl who presented with a rapidly enlarging right-sided neck swelling with symptom of upper airway obstruction f or one day. Examination revealed submandibular and submental swelling on the right side and elevation of the f loor of the mouth with medialization of the right pharyngeal wall. Computed tomography scan of the neck revealed a ranula lesion. The patient underwent marsupialization f ollowed by external excision of the ranula. A plunging ranula is rare in children and is always misdiagnosed. Surgical excision is a treatment of choice with a low recurrence rate.