Laryngocele in association with ankylosing spondylitis

Abstract

A laryngocele is a cystic dilatation of the laryngeal saccule. The etiology of laryngoceles is unclear, but congenital and acquired factors are considered to play a role in their development. An acquired laryngocele may develop when the laryngeal ventricle becomes functionally obstructed as a result of an increase in intraglottic pressure, such as that caused by excessive coughing, playing a wind instrument, glass blowing or obstruction of appendicular ostium. We present a case of laryngocele in a patient with ankylosing spondylitis. To the authors' knowledge, and from a review of the literature, this combination has not been previously described. The laryngocele was also infected in this case. We believe that development of the laryngocele might be a result of increased intra-abdominal pressure, caused by rheumatoid arthritis, with associated increased intralaryngeal pressure.

Laryngocele: A Case Report

“…4 Many laryngoceles are asymptomatic; sometimes they may cause a cough, hoarseness, stridor, sore throat, globus sensation and may present as a swelling on one or both sides of the neck. 5 More commonly unilateral 6,7 and rarely bilateral internal 8 and bilateral external laryngoceles 9 also exist. Sometimes a laryngocele may obstruct and becomes filled with mucus or become infected (laryngopyocele), thus becomes indistinguishable from saccular cyst.…”

Mixed laryngocoele: A rare cause for acute airway obstruction

“…85 % of laryngocoele have been reported to be unilateral, 15 % found to be bilateral 4,5 . Three types of laryngocoele in relation to thyrohyoid membrane, internal confined to laryngeal ventricle, external extend through thyrohyoid membrane and combined have both external and internal component 9,10,11,12,13,14 .…”

“…Three types of laryngocoele in relation to thyrohyoid membrane, internal confined to laryngeal ventricle, external extend through thyrohyoid membrane and combined have both external and internal component 9,10,11,12,13,14 . Exact etiology is not known 5 . Congenital and acquired factors are associated with its development.…”

“…Association of laryngocoele with other diseases such as amyloidosis 17 , ankylosing spondylosis 5 , and oncocytic cysts 18 have been reported. Laryngocoele are usually asymptomatic 5 , may present with dysphonia 11 , neck swelling 6,15,16 sore throat, cough, dyspnoea, stridor, foreign body sensation, airway obstruction 8,15 rarely. Infection can occur in 10% of cases called laryngopyocoele and it rarely causes death due to aspiration of infective content 7 .…”

“…Male: female ratio is 5:1. 1,2, 3 85% cases are unilateral 4,5 . Most of them are asymptomatic and incidentally detected on radiographic studies for unrelated symptoms 2,6,7 .…”