Infancy congenital tongue base cyst: clinical analysis of 37 cases

Abstract

Objective: To investigate the clinical characteristics of infant congenital tongue base cysts. Methods: This retrospective study involved 37 infants with congenital tongue base cysts in our hospital. Results: The median age at admission was 95 (15-360) d for these babies. The main clinical manifestations were laryngeal stridor (33/37 89.2%), dyspnea (8/37 21.6%), inspiratory trisomy (6/37 16.2%), and choking and vomiting milk (14/37 37.8%). Eight cases (21.6%) were misdiagnosed as laryngomalacia in another hospital, while 4 cases (10.8%) were misdiagnosed as pneumonia. One case required emergency intubation for rescue due to dyspnea before surgery. The root of the tongue was found to occupy space during intubation. Six cases (16.2%) had cysts found through CT examination. Three cases (8%) had cysts found during bronchoscopy due to pneumonia. The remaining cysts were found in the root of the tongue through laryngoscopy. Laryngoscopy was performed in all children before the operation, and CT examination in 28 patients before the operation showed that the median diameter of the cyst was 10 mm (5-20 mm), All children underwent radiofrequency ablation of glossal root cysts through laryngoscopy. Eight patients were transferred to the intensive care unit (ICU) for treatment post-operatively. The median intubation time was 4.5 days (2-5 days). Conclusion: Infancy congenital tongue base cysts have an early onset and atypical clinical manifestations. Electronic laryngoscopy combined with neck CT should be performed promptly in patients with laryngeal stridor and feeding difficulty to facilitate accurate diagnosis, and timely surgery is needed.