Laryngocele and Saccular Cysts

Abstract

The symptoms, endoscopic findings, treatment and results of 46 patients with laryngoceles and saccular cysts are presented. Thirty-four were adults; 12 were infants and children under three years of age. Twenty-two adults had anterior saccular cysts, nine had lateral saccular cysts; three had laryngoceles. Ten infants and children had saccular cysts; two had laryngoceles. A laryngocele is an abnormal dilatation of the saccule which communicates with the lumen of the larynx, fills with air but on occasion may be temporarily distended with mucus; laryngoceles may be congenital or acquired. A saccular cyst is a mucus-filled dilatation of the saccule which does not communicate with the laryngeal lumen; saccular cysts are classified as lateral or anterior. Laryngoceles and saccular cysts represent abnormalities of the laryngeal saccule; a developmental spectrum exists among the normal saccule, large saccule, laryngocele and saccular cyst. The treatment of saccular cysts in infants and children is primarily repeated aspiration. In adults, symptomatic laryngoceles and large lateral saccular cysts are treated by an external approach; endoscopic aspiration and unroofing of small lateral saccular cysts is sometimes adequate and is attempted first. Anterior saccular cysts are treated by endoscopic excision biopsy. Carcinoma of the larynx may be found in association with a laryngocele or saccular cyst and must be diligently searched for by biopsies in the region of the saccular orifice. A smooth mass involving the area of the false vocal cord and aryepiglottic fold cannot be assumed to be a lateral saccular cyst; biopsies of the ventricle and saccule and deep incisional biopsies of the mass are indicated to rule out a carcinoma originating in the ventricle or saccule.

Laryngoceles - presentations and management

“…Virchow introduced the term laryngocele in 1887, to describe an air filled dilatation of the laryngeal sacculus, the pouch of the upper part of the laryngeal ventricle of Morgagni. A laryngocele is an air filled herniation of the sacculus which communicates with the lumen of the larynx The diagnosis of a laryngocele is probable when a large saccule becomes symptomatic and a swelling can be palpated, a swelling is observed at direct or indirect laryngoscopy or an airfi lled sac is shown on a radiograph [1].…”

Laringocele: uma causa de obstrução de vias aéreas superiores

“…Its cause is unknown, however it is associated with chronic cough, blowing in musical instruments, glass blowing and laryngeal carcinoma. Histologically we find a ciliated pseudostratified cylindrical epithelium with a varied number of goblet cells on a thin basal membrane [1][2][3] .…”

Congenital laryngeal saccular cyst: a case report and literature review

“…When it occurs in neonates and is associated with respiratory distress, it must be treated urgently. One of its causes, although rare, is congenital laryngeal saccular cyst (1); however, differential diagnoses include more frequent pathologies such as laryngomalacia, tracheomalacia, subglottic stenosis, vocal cord paralysis, laryngocele, laryngeal membrane, among others (2). Saccular cyst is a benign supraglottic lesion that is usually unilateral, does not have an opening to the laryngeal ventricle and is greater than 1cm (3).…”