A Rare Case of Vallecular Cyst

Abstract

ABSTRACT Vallecular cyst is an uncommon but potentially dangerous condition causing stridor and has been associated with sudden airway obstruction resulting in death due to its anatomical location in neonates. It may also present with feeding problems resulting in failure to thrive. Endoscopic laryngoscopy is necessary to visualize vallecular cyst when suspected clinically. Other conditions leading to neonatal stridor should be ruled out, such as laryngomalacia and other laryngotracheal abnormalities. Marsupialization with a CO2 laser is the most successful treatment. We report a case of a 6-month-old male infant referred to our ear, nose and throat department of Dr. Susheela Tiwari Hospital, Government Medical College, Haldwani, for the evaluation of inspiratory stridor, feeding difficulty, suprasternal retraction, and failure to thrive. The patient was misdiagnosed and treated conservatively by a pediatrician. On rigid laryngoscopic examination, an anteriorly displacing cystic mass on the tongue base on the left side was detected. The cyst was removed intoto using bipolar cautery. Immediately after surgery, inspiratory stridor, suprasternal retraction, and feeding difficulty improved gradually. One week later, follow-up rigid laryngoscopy showed no abnormal finding except episodic influx of epiglottis. How to cite this article Gangwar A, Kuchhal V, Srivastava P. A Rare Case of Vallecular Cyst. Int J Adv Integ Med Sci 2016;1(2):88-90.