A Clinicopathologic Study of Epiglottic and Vallecular Cysts

Background and Objectives：The epiglottic and vallecular cysts are uncommon and almost benign lesions. Newman classified laryngeal cyst as an epithelial, tonsillar and oncocytic cyst (1984：Modified working classification). The purposes of this study are to find out the relationship between the anatomical location of cyst and the histopathology, and identify the effectiveness and advantages of laser excision of epiglottic and vallecular cysts. Subjects and Method：A retrospective study of medical records was carried out for 34 patients with epiglottic and vallecular cysts. They underwent laryngomicroscopic surgery with laser between January 1995 and April 2003 at the Dankook university hospital. In this article, the authors review epiglottic and vallecular cysts from both the clinical and histopathological points of view. Results：The epiglottic and vallecular cysts were more common in men than in women, and the mean age was 47 years old. The most common symptom was globus sensation in throat (67%). There was no complication such as bleeding or edema in all cases during operation and postoperative period. The mean hospital stay was 2 days. The epithelial cysts and tonsillar cysts were 28 and 6 cases, respectively. Most of epithelial cysts were located in lingual surface of epiglottis. All tonsillar cysts were located in the valleculae except for one case. We encountered recurrence in 2 cases, where the cysts ruptured during operation and reoperation was done. Conclusion：The most common histopathologic type of epiglottic cyst was epithelial cyst. However, that of vallecular cyst was tonsillar cyst. The laser excision was an effective modality for treatment of epiglottic and vallecular cysts.