title: Asymptomatic laryngocele: incidence and association with laryngeal cancer.
abstract: Since laryngoceles are usually asymptomatic, their incidence is probably higher than the literature suggests. With the advent of computed tomography, the incidence and significance of the asymptomatic laryngocele in a general head and neck practice can be addressed. To this end, 304 consecutive patients with a variety of otolaryngic diagnoses were studied prospectively by computed tomography of the neck from January 1983 to February 1985. Thirty-eight (12.5%) of the patients had asymptomatic laryngoceles, defined as air-containing structures in the supraglottic region extending more than 5 mm above the superior border of the thyroid cartilage during normal breathing. The incidence of laryngoceles associated with laryngeal cancer (29%) was higher than that for laryngoceles associated with other diseases (9%). No patient with an asymptomatic laryngocele not associated with laryngeal cancer showed evidence of a subsequent laryngeal neoplasm during close follow-up of 10 to 36 months.
mesh_terms: D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery; D006547:Hernia / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D059685:Herniorrhaphy; D006685:Hoarseness / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D007818:Laryngeal Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D007822:Laryngeal Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000601:surgery; D007825:Laryngectomy; D011446:Prospective Studies; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed