Ectopic thymus presenting as a subglottic mass: diagnostic and management dilemmas.
The commonest subglottic mass in infants is a congenital haemangioma, which is usually managed conservatively without a histological diagnosis. Ectopic cervical thymus is rare and usually presents as a cervical mass, with only one case of subglottic ectopic thymus reported to date. Due to its rarity, the diagnosis in most cases relies on surgical excision and histological examination. However, histological diagnosis may not always be easily reached, as is demonstrated in this case report. In this article, an infant with congenital stridor secondary to a subglottic mass is described and the clinical and diagnostic difficulties in its management are discussed.
Pai
Irumee
I
Department of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, St. George's Hospital, 1st Floor Lanesborough Wing, Blackshaw Road, London SW17 0QT, UK. irumeepai@hotmail.com
Hegde
Vanishree
V
Wilson
Philip O G
PO
Ancliff
Phil
P
Ramsay
Alan D
AD
Daya
Hamid
H
D002828:Choristoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D003422:Critical Care; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005931:Glottis / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007818:Laryngeal Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D007828:Laryngoscopy; D008297:Male; D013950:Thymus Gland; D016896:Treatment Outcome