Rare benign tumors: laryngeal and hypopharyngeal lipomata.
Lipomata of the larynx and the hypopharynx are very rare benign lesions; as they look macroscopically like retention cysts, their diagnosis is usually made after surgery. Sometimes, lipomata of the hypopharynx become very large and life-threatening. Plain fluoroscopy and fluoroscopy aided with barium often fail to depict the lesion if it is localized subepiglottically; standard barium swallow examination and computed tomography allow an accurate diagnosis to be made in many cases, although magnetic resonance imaging is still more accurate and allows not only a more specific diagnosis of the lesion, but also a better depiction of the origin of the frequently pedunculated tumor and its extension into the parapharyngeal space. This paper adds 6 cases of hypopharyngeal and 1 case of laryngeal lipoma to the literature and discusses modern diagnostic and therapeutic strategies.
Jungehülsing
M
M
Department of Otorhinolaryngology, University of Cologne, Germany.
Fischbach
R
R
Pototschnig
C
C
Eckel
H E
HE
Damm
M
M
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007012:Hypopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D007822:Laryngeal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D007828:Laryngoscopy; D053685:Laser Therapy; D008067:Lipoma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed