Giant Parapharyngeal Space Pleomorphic Adenoma Causing Acute Airway Obstruction
Primary parapharyngeal space (PPS) tumors are rare, representing only 0.5% of all head and neck neoplasms. About 80% of tumors of this space are benign, and 20% are malignant. They often pose therapeutic and diagnostic problems due to variable nonspecific symptoms and the complex anatomy of this spa...
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Published in | Oman medical journal Vol. 32; no. 3; pp. 240 - 242 |
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Main Authors | , , , |
Format | Journal Article |
Language | English |
Published |
Muscat - Oman
Oman Medical Specialty Board
01.05.2017
OMJ |
Subjects | |
Online Access | Get full text |
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Summary: | Primary parapharyngeal space (PPS) tumors are rare, representing only 0.5% of all
head and neck neoplasms. About 80% of tumors of this space are benign, and 20% are
malignant. They often pose therapeutic and diagnostic problems due to variable nonspecific
symptoms and the complex anatomy of this space. Pleomorphic adenoma is
the most common benign tumor of this space. It presents as an asymptomatic mass
causing mild bulging in the soft palate or tonsillar region, or fullness near the angle of the
mandible in the neck. We report the case of a 60-year-old male admitted to the emergency
department with breathing difficulty and acute stridor. He was unable to maintain
oxygen saturation, and an emergency tracheostomy was performed. Radiological and
cytological evaluation were performed, and the patient was diagnosed as having primary
PPS pleomorphic adenoma. The tumor was excised via the transcervical approach. The
rarity of tumor in this space and unusual life-threatening presentation prompted the
authors to report this case. To our knowledge, this is the third case reported worldwide of
a pleomorphic adenoma causing upper airway obstruction and acute respiratory failure. |
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Bibliography: | OMJ.jpg Oman Medical Journal, Vol. 32, No. 3, May 2017: 240-242 |
ISSN: | 1999-768X 2070-5204 |
DOI: | 10.5001/omj.2017.44 |