In a case study published by Anesthesiology News, David J. Kim, MD, MS, of Massachusetts General Hospital, reports on a 59-year-old male patient presenting for laparoscopic sigmoid colectomy who, after several attempts at ventilation, was found to have an epiglottic cyst.
Using video laryngoscopy, doctors discovered a “pink, cystic mass measuring approximately 2 cm × 1.5 cm, slightly left of midline on the lingual surface of the supra hyoid epiglottis,” according to the article.
Kim writes: “Epiglottic cysts are rare and constitute only 5% of all benign laryngeal lesions. However, the true incidence of epiglottic cysts is unknown as many can be asymptomatic and discovered incidentally during workup of other comorbidities or induction of general anesthesia.”
The report “Illustrates the limitations of the airway assessment and the importance of being prepared for the management of an unanticipated difficult airway for any patient,” writes Kim.
Intubation Complications Due to Epiglottic Cyst
