title: Ectopic thymus presenting as a subglottic mass: diagnostic and management dilemmas.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: 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
authors.forename: Irumee
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Pai
authors.forename: Vanishree
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Hegde
authors.forename: Philip O G
authors.initials: PO
authors.lastname: Wilson
authors.forename: Phil
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ancliff
authors.forename: Alan D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Ramsay
authors.forename: Hamid
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Daya
mesh_terms: 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