title: Epiglottic masses identified on CT imaging: A case report and review of the broad differential diagnosis.
abstract: Epiglottic masses may be cystic, granulomatous, infectious, benign or malignant neoplastic, or manifestations of a systemic disease. When large in size, the airway may become obstructed, and when accompanied by suspicious features such as cartilaginous invasion, extension to the pre-epiglottic or para-glottic spaces, or lymphadenopathy, the radiologist must consider malignancy as a primary differential diagnosis. However, when only benign features are identified, the differential diagnosis is broad. We present a 65-year-old female with an incidental 1 cm exophytic, pedunculated, papillomatous lesion on the laryngeal surface of the epiglottis discovered upon endoscopic evaluation for dyspepsia and heartburn. Because of her risk factors for malignancy, CT scan was requested and revealed only benign features. Subsequent excisional biopsy revealed a benign squamous papilloma; however, multiple additional differential considerations were entertained preoperatively.
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Jackson Memorial Hospital; Miami, FL, USA jtresley@med.miami.edu.
authors.forename: Jonathan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tresley
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Jackson Memorial Hospital; Miami, FL, USA.
authors.forename: Efrat
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Saraf-Lavi
authors.forename: Oleksandr N
authors.initials: ON
authors.lastname: Kryvenko
authors.affiliation: Departments of Pathology and Urology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine; Miami, FL, USA.
authors.forename: Oleksandr
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Kryvenko
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine; Miami, FL, USA.
authors.forename: Zoukaa
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Sargi
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003560:Cysts / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004825:Epiglottis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007818:Laryngeal Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis; D007822:Laryngeal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D010212:Papilloma / Q000175:diagnosis*; D012207:Rhabdomyoma / Q000175:diagnosis*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014387:Tuberculosis, Laryngeal / Q000175:diagnosis*
keywords: CT imaging; epiglottis; larynx; mass