Giant laryngoceles: a cause of upper airway obstruction

Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol. 2001 Mar;258(3):137-40. doi: 10.1007/s004050100316.

Abstract

Laryngoceles and saccular cysts, which are abnormal dilatations of the laryngeal saccule, are uncommon. The etiology is unknown but is probably related to both congenital and acquired factors. These structures are usually asymptomatic and are incidentally discovered through radiographic studies for unrelated symptoms. We describe two patients with upper airway obstruction, one caused by a giant laryngocele and the other by a large saccular cyst. In the former patient, acute tracheotomy had to be performed. The laryngocele and saccular cyst were removed surgically, which relieved patients' symptoms of upper airway obstruction.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Airway Obstruction / diagnosis*
  • Diagnosis, Differential
  • Humans
  • Laryngeal Diseases / diagnosis*
  • Laryngeal Diseases / pathology
  • Laryngeal Diseases / surgery
  • Laryngoscopy
  • Larynx / pathology
  • Larynx / surgery
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Mucocele / diagnosis*
  • Mucocele / pathology
  • Mucocele / surgery
  • Thyroglossal Cyst / diagnosis*
  • Thyroglossal Cyst / pathology
  • Thyroglossal Cyst / surgery
  • Tomography, X-Ray Computed