Diagnostic and therapeutic management of a vallecular cyst in an infant

Abstract

Laryngeal cysts, and especially vallecular cysts, are a rare entity in everyday clinical practice. Nevertheless, their location and the fact that they appear in newborns and infants, must be recognized as a cause of stridor and upper airway obstruction, since their misdiagnosis and late treatment can have fatal consequences. We present the case of an infant with inspiratory stridor. We performed a nasofibrolaryngoscopy where a vallecular cystic lesion was observed, and a neck ultrasound showed a cyst, described as a thyroglossal duct cyst, as the main etiology. Thyroid function tests and a gammagraphy, were both normal, hence the patient underwent a suspension microlaryngoscopy and marsupialization of the cyst, without further complications. The histopathology confirmed the diagnosis of a vallecular cyst. This entity must be considered in infants with inspiratory stridor. Although it is a rare lesion, its early diagnosis and adequate management is crucial.