Management of a mucocoele of the submandibular gland without removal of the gland: a case report

A mucocoele or extravasation of mucus is common in minor salivary glands, but unusual in major ones. Those from the submandibular gland are a diagnostic challenge and conventional management includes excision of the associated gland. We describe a 27-year-old man with a mucocoele of the submandibular gland that presented as a lateral cervical swelling and looked like a plunging ranula. The cystic lesion was completely excised and, to our knowledge, this is the first published case in which the submandibular gland was saved with no recurrence up to two years postoperatively. (C) 2016 Published by Elsevier Ltd on behalf of The British Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons.