Occult supraglottic lymphatic malformation presenting as obstructive sleep apnea.
Sleep disordered breathing and obstructive sleep apnea is commonly encountered in the pediatric population. In many cases, it is the result of oropharyngeal obstruction secondary to adenoidal or adenotonsillar hypertrophy. We describe an unusual case of a child with adenoidal hypertrophy who had an occult supraglottic lymphatic malformation that manifested as obstructive sleep apnea. The management of this lesion is discussed including the use of endoscopy, carbon-dioxide laser, and the decision to avoid a tracheotomy. Occult supraglottic lymphatic malformations (LMs) are a rare cause of obstructive sleep apnea, the diagnosis of which will be missed without fiberoptic laryngeal examination. They are challenging to manage because of the airway involvement and propensity to recur.
Chan
James
J
Department of Otolaryngology and Communicative Disorders, The Cleveland Clinic Foundation, A71, 9500 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA. chanj@ccf.org
Younes
Abbas
A
Koltai
Peter J
PJ
D002675:Child, Preschool; D003560:Cysts / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D005931:Glottis / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008206:Lymphatic Diseases / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D020181:Sleep Apnea, Obstructive / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology* / Q000601:surgery