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Dr. Andrew Rynne
MD
Dr. Andrew Rynne

Family Physician

Exp 50 years

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How To Distinguish Between Ranula And Plunging Ranula?

I have been experiencing a clavicular fullness, neck fullness and jaw pain for the past few years ..been tested for everything (nothing lfe threatening).. all they found was an abnormality in my submandibular gland (cystic) and a ranula. In past few months under my tongue is swollen and VERY painful (pain radiates to jaw) the swelling (mouth floor and clavicular)and pain come and go and I cannot tolerate the pain and numbness /Tingling anymore, nasty taste after swelling goes down... after reading a lot ... how do the drs distinguish if it is a ranula or a plunging ranula? Should I be worried?
Mon, 8 Sep 2014
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Dentist, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery,  's  Response
Thanks for your query, I have gone through your query.
The swelling below the tongue can be a cystic lesion arising from the sub lingual salivary gland which is called ranula. If this ranula permeates through the mylohyoid muscle and spreads down to neck region and produces swelling in the neck region below the mandible, it is called a plunging ranula.
Consult a oral physician and get it ruled out, because infection arising from the teeth can also result in pain and swelling of similar kind.
Get an ultrasound done to rule out the pathology.
If it is diagnosed as ranula or plunging ranula, then it has to treated surgicalil to prevent complications like difficulty in swallowing, respiratory problems.
The nasty taste can be because of the contents of the cyst which gets burst following any trauma to the cyst.
I hope my answer will help you, take care.
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How To Distinguish Between Ranula And Plunging Ranula?

Thanks for your query, I have gone through your query. The swelling below the tongue can be a cystic lesion arising from the sub lingual salivary gland which is called ranula. If this ranula permeates through the mylohyoid muscle and spreads down to neck region and produces swelling in the neck region below the mandible, it is called a plunging ranula. Consult a oral physician and get it ruled out, because infection arising from the teeth can also result in pain and swelling of similar kind. Get an ultrasound done to rule out the pathology. If it is diagnosed as ranula or plunging ranula, then it has to treated surgicalil to prevent complications like difficulty in swallowing, respiratory problems. The nasty taste can be because of the contents of the cyst which gets burst following any trauma to the cyst. I hope my answer will help you, take care.