Submandibular gland mucocele caused by submental liposuction

Submental liposuction is performed for patients with submental fullness and is one of the most common cosmetic surgical procedures. Although severe complications associated with submental liposuction are rare, there are no reports of iatrogenic submandibular gland (SMG) mucocele. We report a rare case of SMG mucocele caused by submental liposuction. A 25-year-old man was referred to our department for left submandibular swelling. Three years before the first visit, the patient visited another hospital for left submandibular swelling. Magnetic resonance imaging showed a cystic lesion in the left submandibular region, and the patient was diagnosed with a plunging ranula. The patient underwent sublingual gland removal, and the postoperative course was uneventful. Three months before the first visit, the patient underwent submental liposuction at a private cosmetic surgery clinic. Computed tomography revealed a well-circumscribed, submandibular cystic lesion arising from the anterior portion of the SMG. Fine needle aspiration showed yellow mucus. Because the clinical and radiological diagnosis was SMG mucocele, the patient underwent SMG removal in a submandibular approach. The postoperative course was uneventful, and there was no recurrence 5 months after the surgery.