Objective: To report an unusual presentation of thyroglossal duct cyst causing airway obstruction in an elderly man. Methods: Design: Case Report Setting: Tertiary Government Training Hospital Patient: One Results: A 71-year-old man with an anterior neck mass was brought to the Emergency Room due to progressive difficulty of breathing. A smooth, non-ulcerating right supraglottic mass obstructed the airway. Following an emergency high tracheotomy, contrast computed tomography scan of the neck revealed a hypodense mass with peripheral rim enhancement in the right supraglottis and an extralaryngeal component. Intra-operatively, a dumbbell- shaped cystic mass with a tract connected to the hyoid bone led to a Sistrunk procedure. Final histopathology findings were consistent with thyroglossal duct cyst. Conclusion It is possible for an elderly patient with impending upper airway obstruction, dysphonia, and neck mass to still have a benign and congenital thyroglossal duct cyst with intralaryngeal extension.
Thyroglossal Cyst ; Airway Obstruction