The cumulative cases of ranula which had been treated from April 1983 to March 1993 in our clinic were reported. Thirty-nine cumulative cases consisted of 13 male and 26 female patients. The youngest patient was 2 years old, and the oldest was 66. Nineteen cases (48.7 %) were below the age of 20. These 39 cases were 87.2 % sublingual type, 5.1 % sublingual-submandibular type and 7.7 % plunging type.
As for the treatment, marsupialization or extirpation was performed for the sublingual type. Marsupialization was performed for the sublingual-submandibular type. Further, for the treatment of the plunging type of ranula, extirpation or marsupialization combined with extirpation of the sublingual gland was carried out.
The rates of recurrence were 16.7 % in the sublingual type, 33.3 % in the plunging type, 27.3 after marsupialization, and 12.5 % after extirpation, respectively. Most of the recurrent cases were within four months.
Moreover, the availability of marsupialization combined with extirpation of sublingual gland and compression in the submandibular region for treatment by the plunging type of ranula was confirmed.
