Isolated paraglottic neurofibroma; lateral thyrotomy approach: a case report

Abstract

Isolated neurofibromas are rare tumours of the paraglottic space. A 59 year old lady presented with progressive hoarseness for 5 years. Examination revealed a smooth submucosal globular mass in the glottosupraglottic region on the left side. After confirming findings on a contrast CT scan lateral thyrotomy approach was employed to excise the tumour in toto. Histopathology revealed a neurofibroma. Further workup to exclude neurofibromatosis (NF1) was done. Isolated laryngeal neurofibromas present a challenge to surgeons for providing complete excision of tumour while giving a good voice quality and lateral thyrotomy approach is the ideal approach for satisfying both these parameters.