Parapharyngeal neuroglial heterotopia in Pierre Robin sequence: MR imaging findings

Abstract

Heterotopic neuroglial tissue is a rare lesion, occurring more frequently in the nasal cavities. Other rare locations are the orbit, the scalp, the palate, the pharynx, the parapharyngeal space and the lungs. They are usually detected occasionally because they are often asymptomatic, but sometimes they might present with dyspnoea, feeding difficulty, snorting and nasal flaring. Respiratory symptoms occur when heterotopic neuroglial tissue is located in the parapharyngeal space. We report a case of an infant affected by Pierre Robin sequence (PRS) who was admitted to our Institution for a worsening respiratory distress that was not explainable only by PRS.