Treating oral ranula: another case against blanket removal of the sublingual gland.

There are a number of occasions when ranula-like lesions of the oral floor can develop that do not originate from the sublingual gland, or that arise from the gland with no tendency towards recurrence. The author advises that the unconditional removal of the sublingual gland should not be the standard treatment for all ranulas, and present four case reports to illustrate these and describe how they should be treated. All the patients were treated successfully with conservative management and retained normal functioning sublingual glands. Except for the management of plunging ranulas, caution and a close examination of the origin of the lesion are prudent before considering excision of sublingual glands for all ranula-like lesions.