Hypopharyngeal lymphangioma in adults: Presentation of a case report

Abstract

Lymphangiomas are infrequent benign lymphatic malformations, with clinical manifes- tations mainly at birth or in childhood. They can develop in any area of the body, most frequently the head and neck, and their pharyngeal involvement is extremely rare. Given its nonspecific symptoms, it requires a precise pathological analysis to make a correct diag­nosis. We present the case of a 40-year-old woman with a 1-year history of dysphagia and odynophagia whose imaging study and nasofibroscopy revealed a rounded tumor lodged in the right pyriform sinus. The excisional biopsy confirmed the diagnosis of lymphangioma. The diagnosis of lymphangioma should be considered within the differentials of tumors in the pharynx and awareness of its presence in adults to offer optimal management based on complete surgical excision to avoid recurrence or management with use of sclerosing substances.