A 10-Year Review of Laryngeal Cysts in an Asian Pediatric Population

Abstract

Objective: 1) Evaluate the presentation and treatment of pediatric laryngeal cysts in an Asian population.2) Determine the success rates of surgery, and recommend a preferred surgical method.

Method: A 10-year (2000-2010) retrospective analysis of the operative records of patients with laryngeal cysts at a tertiary children’s hospital in Singapore. A total of 29 patients were identified. All underwent microlaryngobronchoscopy under general anesthesia. We recorded the following: birth history, symptoms, operative details, and recurrence.

Results: Of the 29 children, 18 were boys, and 11 were girls. Only 8 children were preterm. Most of the children presented within the first 2 years of life. The 3 most common symptoms were stridor, respiratory distress, and hoarseness. There was a large proportion of patients with vallecular cysts (n = 14), accounting for nearly half of the cases. This is one of the largest published series to our knowledge. The most common treatment modalities used were CO2 laser marsupialization in 20 patients and excision with cold steel in 7 patients. Recurrence was documented in 4 patients (13.8%).

Conclusion: We recommend that laryngeal cysts in children should be removed surgically, due to the risk of airway obstruction. Our preference is carbon dioxide laser marsupialization during microlaryngobronchoscopy. There is a low recurrence rate, and there were no postoperative complications in our study.