Congenital vallecular cyst: a rare and potentially lethal condition

Congenital vallecular cyst is a rare laryngeal lesion, accounting for 10-20% of all laryngeal cysts, with a potential to cause severe upper airway obstruction, which can be fatal. It can cause stridor, apnea, cyanosis, respiratory distress, and feeding difficulties. Diagnosis requires a high level of clinical suspicion and helps in timely intervention. Direct laryngoscopy is gold standard for definitive diagnosis. Treatment options include aspiration, marsupialization, and surgical excision. Here, we report a case of 7-week-old infant with complain of recurrent episodes of cyanosis when agitated, since the age of 3 weeks, admitted with impression of apparent life-threatening events (ALTEs). Extensive investigations were non-conclusive, which were done in local hospital. Direct laryngoscopy was performed in our hospital and showed presence of a vallecular cyst. Thus complete excision of cyst was done in the same setting with dramatic relief of symptoms. (author)