gms | German Medical Science

Introduction: Laryngocele is an abnormal cystic dilatation of the laryngeal saccule. It is uncommon and may occur in up to 5% of all benign laryngeal lesions. Laryngoceles may extend internally into the airway or externally through the thyrohyoid membrane and in rare cases may be bilateral. There is a rare, but well documented, association of laryngocele with laryngeal carcinoma, usually with supraglottic loation.

Aim: We present a case of a 49-year-old man, referred to our clinc for laryngopyocele, with transcutaneous prelaryngeal fistula, formed after incision of a large prelaryngeal abscess.

Results: The laryngoscopy showed substantial edema of the right vestibular fold with no evident tumor. The vestibular fold was excised by CO₂ LASER and sent for histological study. The result was squamous cell carcinoma. There was prelaryngeal tumor spread but no metastases were found. The patient underwent total laryngectomy.

Conclusion: In cases with laryngocele a coexisting tumor must always be considered. In some cases the first symptom may be a deep neck infection. CT scan, careful laryngoscopy and early histology sampling may give the clue to the diagnosis.

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