Adult vallecular cyst: thirteen-year experience.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the characteristics of adult vallecular cyst.


METHODS
A retrospective chart review from a university affiliated hospital.


METHODS
Clinical manifestations and airway management of 38 consecutive adult patients with vallecular cyst admitted between 1992 and 2004 were studied.


RESULTS
Two distinct groups were identified: infected (n = 24) and noninfected (n = 14). Twenty-two (91.7%) patients of the former group had acute epiglottitis with an abrupt onset culminating in abscess formation in 19 (79.2%) and airway compromise in 9 (37.5%) compared with none in the noninfected group (P = 0.006). In 4 (18.2%) of 22 patients, the origin of the infected vallecular cyst was evident only after symptoms subsided. Three patients had recurrent acute epiglottitis. The noninfected group had a relatively prolonged mild clinical course.


CONCLUSIONS
Two types of vallecular cysts were characterized. Abscess formation was the hallmark of adult infected vallecular cyst.


CONCLUSIONS
To improve patient care, endoscopic follow-up is advocated. In patients with recurrent episodes of acute epiglottitis, imaging is recommended.
Berger
Gilead
G
ENT Histopathologic Research Laboratory, Meir Medical Center, Kfar Saba, Israel. berger45@netvision.net.il
Averbuch
Eran
E
Zilka
Keren
K
Berger
Rachel
R
Ophir
Dov
D
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000402:Airway Obstruction / Q000209:etiology; D003560:Cysts / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy; D004826:Epiglottitis / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007818:Laryngeal Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed