Are the patients with anatomic variation of the sublingual/Wharton's duct system predisposed to ranula formation?

Symptoms accompanying congenital ranula in neonates and infants – three case reports

“…In older children ranula most often arises from mechanical damage while chewing food. Some doctors believe that infants with congenital ranula may be associated with congenital duct malformation [4,5]. Small glands inside the salivary gland continuously produce mucus.…”

Transoral Robotic Surgery with Sialendoscopy for a Plunging Ranula

“…Ranulas are oral mucoceles that develop from extravasation or retention of saliva from the sublingual or submandibular gland in the floor of the mouth or the neck [2][3][4]. Their specific etiology is largely unknown [5], but they may be associated with local trauma, previous surgery, congenital anomalies, or obstruction of the sublingual gland duct [5][6][7][8]. They are classified into two categories based on their extent: simple (intraoral) or plunging (cervical) [5].…”

“…Their specific etiology is largely unknown [5], but they may be associated with local trauma, previous surgery, congenital anomalies, or obstruction of the sublingual gland duct [5][6][7][8]. They are classified into two categories based on their extent: simple (intraoral) or plunging (cervical) [5]. Simple ranulas typically arise from the sublingual gland and are visible on the floor of the mouth, whereas plunging ranulas arise from the sublingual and/or submandibular glands and appear as submandibular masses that are usually not visible orally [6,9].…”

“…In some instances, plunging ranulas can extend between the facial planes into difficult-to-reach anatomical regions such as the parapharyngeal space [10]. In rare instances, ranulas can be present at birth [11], but classically they present in the 2nd or 3rd decade of life [12,13] and are diagnosed based on clinical presentation, imaging, and occasionally fine needle aspiration (FNA) [5]. Many clinicians argue that there should be a low threshold for FNA analysis of suspicious lesions, as FNA has been shown to reduce the rate of misdiagnosis [14].…”

“…The preferred surgical approach is controversial and varies between the simple and the plunging type, but it often includes marsupialization or excision of the ranula and/or excision of the associated salivary gland(s) [5,6,17]. Patel et al [17] analyzed the various approaches to ranula treatment based on recurrence and complication rates.…”