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Course: Pediatric Cystic Deep Neck Mass Presenting With Stridor and Dysphagia

CME Credits: 1.00

Released: 2022-09-22

A 6-month-old girl presented to the emergency department for evaluation of fever and was noted to have mild inspiratory stridor. Her parents stated that her stridor began acutely at 4 months of age without any inciting illness or event. The stridor was worse with agitation but was without positional exacerbation. The family reported that the stridor had remained stable since onset. Her parents noted mild dysphagia but denied shortness of breath, cyanosis, or apnea. Laboratory test results revealed acute COVID-19 infection. Physical examination was unremarkable other than mild inspiratory stridor. Findings from bedside flexible laryngoscopy revealed intact vocal fold motion bilaterally with glottic competence. No supraglottic or glottic masses were identified. Anterior-posterior neck and chest radiography demonstrated narrowing and tortuosity of the trachea with displacement to the right proximal to the thoracic inlet and diffuse patchy heterogenous airspace opacities (, A). Subsequent neck ultrasonography and computed tomography scan demonstrated a 3.2?×-2.0-cm low-density lesion abutting the trachea and hypopharynx at the level of thoracic inlet, with rightward displacement of the trachea and larynx (, B-D). Operative laryngoscopy, bronchoscopy, and esophagoscopy revealed extrinsic compression of the trachea, right mainstem bronchus, and esophagus with rightward deviation of the trachea and esophagus. No mucosal tract was identified.


Educational Objective
Based on this clinical scenario and the accompanying image, understand how to arrive at a correct diagnosis.


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