Abstract
We present the case of a man with dyspnea due to a mass in the cricoid cartilage that turns out to be an extramedullary plasmocytoma. Although the patient has a history of multiple myeloma, the disease only rarely affects the cricoid cartilage. Other subglottic lesions possibly involving the cricoid cartilage are squamous cell carcinoma, chondroma, chondrosarcoma and metastasis. The imaging characteristics suggesting extramedullary plasmocytoma arising from the cricoid consist of thinning and expansion of the cartilage laminae without mucosal lesions nor soft tissue mass adjacent to the cricoid cartilage. The patient was successfully treated with radiation therapy and peroral steroids.
Highlights
We present the case of a man with dyspnea due to a mass in the cricoid cartilage that turns out to be an extra medullary plasmocytoma
A CT study of the neck was done which showed a bulging mass arising from the cricoid cartilage resulting in a significant subglottic stenosis
A number of osteolytic bone lesions are visible in vertebral bodies (Fig. 1C, in the right clavicle (Fig. 1A, black arrow) and in the sternal bone (Fig. 1C)
Summary
We present the case of a man with dyspnea due to a mass in the cricoid cartilage that turns out to be an extra medullary plasmocytoma. A 73 year old man with a history of multiple myeloma and pulmonary embolism presents at the emergency department with progressive dyspnea. The two weeks dyspnea increased and wheezing arose. A CT study of the neck was done which showed a bulging mass arising from the cricoid cartilage resulting in a significant subglottic stenosis (Fig. 1 A, B (white arrows).
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