Little frog in the mouth: a visual diagnosis?

Ranula, from the Latin little frog, is a retention cyst filled with saliva in the oral cavity. Simple ranulas most commonly affect the sublingual gland and typically present as a hemispherical bluish cyst on the floor of the mouth, making it a visual diagnosis. A 7-year-old girl presented with a swelling on the underside of the tongue, an uncommon location for a ranula that made diagnostic assignment difficult. The optimal treatment of a ranula is still controversial in the literature. Many authors favor surgery as the treatment of choice. Our case shows that a watch and wait approach with simple mechanical pressure on the cyst can be sufficient.

Automated summary

Ranula is a cyst filled with saliva in the oral cavity, usually presenting as a hemispherical bluish cyst. The optimal treatment is still controversial, with many authors favoring surgery, but our case suggests that watch and wait approach with mechanical pressure can be effective.