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We describe the case of a patient who swallowed a small fish bone and felt it lodge in her pharynx, but failed to seek medical attention in a timely manner. One week later, no foreign body was found in the hypopharynx or larynx, but a small purulent cyst was present in the epiglottic vallecula. A computed tomography scan showed a high-density area on the lingual surface of the epiglottis, which was considered to represent an embedded fish bone. A week later, the patient's discomfort had subsided, and flexible videoendoscopy showed that the purulent cyst in the epiglottic vallecula had disappeared. We surmise that the purulent cyst had ruptured spontaneously and the foreign body had been discharged. This represents an example of how an impacted small foreign body may be spontaneously discharged from the body.

Objective: The objective is to reduce the rates of misdiagnosis and inappropriate treatment of laryngeal tuberculosis (LTB)., Study Design: Retrospective case series., Materials and Methods: Medical records of 3 histopathology-confirmed cases at a tertiary medical center from 2000 to 2018., Results: Seventeen patients with LTB included in this study. Of the 17 patients, 16 patients were male and 1 was female; 11 patients had a history of smoking. Odynophagia was the chief complaint in 6 cases, and 11 patients complained of hoarseness. The appearance of the affected larynx was ranged from diffuse swelling (n = 7, 41.2%), mucosa white lesion (n = 5,29.4%), and granulomatous tumors (n = 2, 11.76%), and these features presented together (n = 2, 11.76%). Seventeen patients with LTB were misdiagnosed as acute epiglottitis in 4 (23.5%) patients, acute laryngitis in 1 (5.9%) patient, leukoplakia in 5 (29.4%) patients, laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR) in 6 (35.3%) patients, and laryngocarcinoma in 1 (5.9%) patient. Chest computed tomography reported old pulmonary tuberculosis in 2 (11.7%) patients, active pulmonary tuberculosis in 7 (41.2%) patients, and normal lung status in 8 (47.1%) patients. Histopathological examination reported Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection by revealing epithelioid cell granulomas with Langhans-type giant cells in 14 (82.4%) patients and epithelioid cell granulomas with caseous necrosis and Langhans-type giant cells in 3 (17.6%) patients., Conclusions: Laryngeal tuberculosis was easily misdiagnosed as acute epiglottitis or leukoplakia because of diffuse swelling of the epiglottis or white lesions over the true vocal cord, especially patients with increasing LTB were misdiagnosed as LPR with the enhancement of LPR awareness among otolaryngologist. Clinicians should be aware of the possibility of LTB for chronic intractable laryngitis with failure treatment of proton pump inhibitor and recurrent acute epiglottitis with foreign body injury.

Hoarseness lasting greater than 2 weeks should be thoroughly evaluated. Here, a case is presented of a 38-year-old female with a 10-year history of dysphonia. Endoscopic examination confirmed the presence of a supraglottic mass, for which operative biopsy and imaging were performed. Pathology confirmed the diagnosis of supraglottic schwannoma. This was excised endoscopically with close management postoperatively to monitor for rapid recurrence and airway compromise. At one month postoperatively, the patient is still mildly dysphonic but vocally improved and the operative site continues to heal well.

This study was performed to investigate the feasibility of using a three-dimensional (3D) finite element model for laryngomalacia severity assessment. We analyzed laryngeal computed tomography images of seven children with laryngomalacia using Mimics software. The gray threshold of different tissues was distinguishable, and a 3D visualization model and finite element model were constructed. The laryngeal structure parameters were defined. The peak von Mises stress (PVMS) value was obtained through laryngeal mechanical analysis. The PVMS values of the laryngeal soft tissue and cartilage scaffolds were independently correlated with disease severity. After stress loading the model, the relationship between laryngomalacia severity and the PVMS value was apparent. However, the PVMS value of laryngeal soft tissue was not correlated with laryngomalacia severity. This study established the efficacy of a finite element model to illustrate the morphological features of the laryngeal cavity in infants with laryngomalacia. However, further study is required before widespread application of 3D finite element modeling of laryngomalacia. PVMS values of the laryngeal cartilage scaffold might be useful for assessment of laryngomalacia severity. These findings support the notion that structural abnormalities of the laryngeal cartilage may manifest as quantifiable changes in stress variants of the supraglottic larynx.

Inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor (IMT) is a benign neoplasm of intermediate biologic potential. It rarely occurs in the larynx, and it has not been previously reported in the epiglottis. We treated a 66-year-old woman who presented with progressive dysphonia and a mass on her suprahyoid epiglottis. The tumor was completely excised with a CO 2 laser; no adjuvant therapy was administered. Histopathology revealed that the mass was an IMT. No evidence of recurrence was noted after 6 months of follow-up. We present what we believe is the first case of an epiglottic IMT to be reported in the literature, and we propose CO 2 laser excision without adjuvant therapy as an acceptable treatment.

Purpose: A collision tumor consists of 2 different histologically distinct and topographically independent tumors merging in the same mass. In the head and neck region they are rare, with only 4 cases reported in the larynx., Case Report: A 60-year-old heavy smoker complained of a left submandibular lesion in October 2014. The lesion was excised and showed a poorly differentiated carcinoma, suggestive for adenocarcinoma. After a positron emission tomography-computed tomography scan showed increased metabolic activity in the left laterocervical region and right vocal cord, the patient underwent endoscopic biopsy of the lesion of the left piriform sinus, which was positive for moderately differentiated squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). He was then submitted to circular pharyngolaryngectomy, reconstruction with a radial forearm free flap, and bilateral neck dissection. The histopathologic examination showed an in situ and microinvasive SCC of the left pyriform sinus colliding with a high-grade, non-small-cell neuroendocrine carcinoma of the larynx., Conclusions: To our knowledge, this is the first case described of laryngeal collision tumor comprising a neuroendocrine component. The choice of treatment of this kind of lesion is difficult because of the presence of 2 different histologies and of the controversial prognostic correlation of non-small-cell neuroendocrine neoplasms of the head and neck region.

Epiglottic masses may be cystic, granulomatous, infectious, benign or malignant neoplastic, or manifestations of a systemic disease. When large in size, the airway may become obstructed, and when accompanied by suspicious features such as cartilaginous invasion, extension to the pre-epiglottic or para-glottic spaces, or lymphadenopathy, the radiologist must consider malignancy as a primary differential diagnosis. However, when only benign features are identified, the differential diagnosis is broad. We present a 65-year-old female with an incidental 1 cm exophytic, pedunculated, papillomatous lesion on the laryngeal surface of the epiglottis discovered upon endoscopic evaluation for dyspepsia and heartburn. Because of her risk factors for malignancy, CT scan was requested and revealed only benign features. Subsequent excisional biopsy revealed a benign squamous papilloma; however, multiple additional differential considerations were entertained preoperatively., (© The Author(s) 2015.)

We report a rare case of medullary thyroid carcinoma that presented as a metastasis to the supraglottic larynx. A 92-year-old man with a 3-month history of voice change and airway obstruction was diagnosed with medullary thyroid carcinoma metastatic to the supraglottis. Excision of the mass, total thyroidectomy, and elective neck dissection were recommended, but the patient declined because of his advanced age. Medullary carcinoma of the thyroid gland is a rare neuroendocrine tumor with a poor prognosis when associated with a distant metastasis. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case of a medullary carcinoma of the thyroid presenting as a supraglottic mass. Total thyroidectomy, neck dissection, and surgical excision of the entire tumor comprise the treatment of choice.

The most common sites of fish bone impaction are the tonsils, tonsillar pillars, tongue base, valleculae, and piriform fossa. Impaction in the supraglottic area is extremely uncommon.

Although ingestion of methyl ethyl ketone peroxide (MEKP) is rare, it carries a high risk of morbidity and mortality. This paper reports the first such case from Turkey in which a 70-year-old man unintentionally ingested MEKP in his kitchen. The patient was brought into the emergency department (ED) within 1 hour of ingestion, with the symptoms of sore throat, shortness of breath, nausea and vomiting. Visual examination of the oropharynx revealed minor burns and uvular edema. A laryngoscope examination performed in the ED showed superficial mucosal injury with edema of the oropharynx, uvula, posterior pharynx, epiglottis, arytenoids and vocal cords. Lateral cervical radiography revealed a narrowing of airway due to a thickened epiglottis. After the diagnostic evaluation was completed, the patient was admitted to the gastroenterology intensive care unit for monitoring of adverse reactions. During follow-up, the patient made an uneventful recovery. Ingestion of MEKP generally results from accidental ingestion from a container. Therefore, these containers should be kept in safe places. In addition, the priority following the ingestion of MEKP should be given to maintain open and adequate airway in the ED.

We present what we believe is the first reported case of a patient with supraglottic stenosis secondary to Wegener granulomatosis. The diagnosis was unclear initially because the biopsy results were nonspecific, but a finding of an elevated cytoplasmic-pattern antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (c-ANCA) level established the diagnosis of localized supraglottic Wegener granulomatosis. Wegener granulomatosis is characterized by necrotizing vasculitis that is localized predominantly to the kidneys and the upper and lower airways. In the airways, subglottic involvement is well documented, but to the best of our knowledge, supraglottic stenosis has not previously been described. Localized forms of Wegener granulomatosis are characterized by limited disease that involves only the upper airway. The diagnosis in localized forms is complex because histology is diagnostic in only 50% of cases, and only 60% of patients have a positive c-ANCA level. We discuss the diagnostic criteria and management strategies for these localized forms.

Primary malignant melanoma of the epiglottis is extremely rare. Until now, only 4 cases have been reported in the world literature. We describe a new case of epiglottic primary malignant melanoma in a 74-year-old man who presented with hoarseness and a foreign-body sensation. Clinical examination revealed the presence of a small, whitish, polypoid tumor on the laryngeal surface of the epiglottis; no other primary melanoma was detected. Wide excision of the lesion was performed, and microscopy revealed that it contained melanin-pigmented tumor cells in both the mucosa and submucosa. Immunostaining was positive for S-100 protein. The patient was treated with radiotherapy, and he remained well 1 year after the diagnosis with no evidence of recurrence.

Respiratory obstruction and stridor in infants and children are not uncommon. A rare cause of these life-threatening symptoms is congenital saccular cyst. An accurate diagnosis of saccular cyst can be made by eliciting a good history, by endoscopic visualization of the lesion, and by computed tomography. Endoscopic excision is the preferred treatment for infants, whereas an external approach is reserved for older children. It can be difficult for anesthetists to intubate infants when the anatomy of the larynx is distorted, but the choice of tracheotomy for an infant has many drawbacks as well. We discuss the clinical presentation and management of a 3-month-old boy who was brought to us with a congenital laryngeal saccular cyst.

Lipomas of the larynx are rare. When they do occur, they are important because some require that the surgeon perform a tracheotomy to prevent a fatal airway obstruction. We report a case of myxolipoma-that is, a lipoma with foci of myxomatous degeneration-of the epiglottis in a 56-year-old woman. We successfully treated the tumor with intubation and surgery; tracheotomy was not necessary. To the best of our knowledge, myxolipoma of the epiglottis in an adult has not been previously reported in the English-language literature.

Laryngomalacia is the most common cause of stridor in newborns and infants. Patients usually present with an inspiratory stridor only, although some exhibit other anomalies. To rule out other possible pathologies, bronchoscopy is advisable. However, the authors of some recent studies have advocated the use of fiberoptic laryngoscopy as a more cost-effective and less-invasive alternative. No surgical intervention is required to treat laryngomalacia in most cases. The disease usually resolves spontaneously by the time a patient reaches the age of 24 months. In this article, we describe a case of laryngomalacia that was atypical in that the patient was 10 years old. We also review the literature in an effort to increase awareness of this condition.

Minor salivary gland carcinosarcoma is a rare malignancy with an ominous prognosis. This report recounts a single case of supraglottic minor salivary gland carcinosarcoma that was treated aggressively. We discuss the peculiarities of the histology, with special mention of the distinction that must be made between mucosal-origin and salivary-gland-origin carcinosarcoma. Carcinosarcomas are aggressive regardless of their origin, but differentiating their origin is important because the prognosis is worse for those that arise in salivary glands than for those that originate in the surface epithelium. This report adds to the literature a new case of minor salivary-gland-origin carcinosarcoma involving the upper airway. It is the first case we could identify in which the supraglottis was involved.

Among the benign pleomorphic adenomas of the minor salivary glands, those that develop in the larynx are very rare. One such case of benign pleomorphic adenoma of the larynx in an adult female is described. The patient was treated with epiglottectomy with a lateral pharyngotomy approach. Review of the literature showed an additional 20 well-described cases of benign pleomorphic adenoma of the larynx. These patients usually present with hoarseness, dyspnea or dysphagia, or any combination of these depending on the site of origin and the size of the tumor. Occasionally the tumor may be discovered incidentally. The tumor can occur in any part of the larynx with the epiglottis being the most common site. Clinically they are indistinguishable from other benign laryngeal neoplasms, as surface mucosal lining remains intact. Histopathological examination is used to make the definitive diagnosis, but rarely, misinterpretation may occur. Conservative surgery provides a lasting cure.

In rodents, the larynx is a major site of histopathologic alteration following inhalation exposure to particulates, vapors, and aerosols. Specifically, the epithelial lining of a narrowly delineated region on the ventral floor of the larynges of rats and mice appears to be especially vulnerable to inhaled materials, and is recognized as a preferred site for histopathological evaluation in inhalation studies. This site is located at the base of the epiglottis, cranial to the ventral laryngeal diverticulum (ventral pouch). The presence of underlying seromucinous glands is critical for histologic identification of this site. We report a histologic sectioning technique, using the ventral laryngeal diverticulum as the anatomical landmark, to obtain tissue sections from this area of predilection in rats and in mice.

The relatively high incidence and variety of lesions induced in the upper respiratory tract of rodents by inhalation of xenobiotics has resulted in considerable attention given to the microscopic anatomy of this area. Specific areas of the rodent laryngeal mucosa appear to be more sensitive to inhaled materials and more likely to contain cellular changes in response to injury. These include the epithelium covering the base of the epiglottis, ventral pouch, and the medial surfaces of the vocal processes of the arytenoid cartilages. There are few good landmarks for trimming rodent larynges to get consistent and accurate sections through these target areas. We have obtained consistently reproducible results by cutting transversely through the easily palpable cricothyroid notch and embedding the entire larynx anterior to this in paraffin with the cut surface against the face of the block. Multiple sections are cut from the caudal larynx toward the epiglottis, unstained sections examined microscopically for orientation, and sections from target areas selected for staining and histopathologic examination. Routine use of these methods for preparation and microscopic examination of sections of the larynx has revealed some variations in normal laryngeal anatomy between Fischer 344 (F344/N) rats and B6C3F1 mice.

Chemodectomas of the larynx are rare tumors. Only 35 cases were reported in the literature prior to the publication of this paper. We report a further case and discuss the problems associated with hemorrhage during surgery.