Cystic lymphangioma of the vallecula (Polish)

Lymphangiomas of the larynx are rare and only about 20 of them have been described in the literature. Their commonest site of origin is the vallecula and epiglottis. They manifest themselves in infants by progessive airway obstruction and cough, and occasionally by dysphagia. Recurrence following surgical extirpation or marsupialization is not uncommon, and in most cases repeated interventions were necessary. These lesions, although histologically benign, should be considered clinically malignant because of their site of predilection, their insidious course and frequent recurrence. A case is presented with the most unusual feature that this 18 mth old infant with a large vallecular cyst was almost completely asymptomatic. The lesion was incidentally discovered during routine pediatric examination. If it were not for the alertness of his pediatrician, this child might have died of sudden airway obstruction. The history, clinical findings and treatment of the infant are presented along with a review of the literature on the subject.