Abstract
Benign tumors of the tonsils occur infrequently. Lymphangiomas are rare congenital tumors of the lymphatic system, and tonsillar lymphangioma is an extremely rare occurrence. Its pathogenesis is uncertain, but history, clinical examination, and histological examination should establish the diagnosis. We present a 17-year-old white male with lymphangioma of the right tonsil. The tonsils were excised and biopsy confirmed the diagnosis. Tonsillar lymphangioma is a rare clinical entity, which should be known to the otolaryngologist, in order to diagnose and treat it appropriately and avoid confusion with tonsillar malignancies.
Highlights
Benign tumors of the tonsils occur infrequently
Three types of lymphangiomas in the head and neck region may be distinguished [2]: (1) lymphangioma simplex, which is composed of thin-walled capillarysized lymphatic channels; (2) cavernous lymphan-gioma, which in almost half of the cases occurs in the tongue; (3) cystic hygroma
We report a case of lymphangioma of the tonsil in an otherwise healthy young male, and we briefly review the existing literature
Summary
Benign tumors of the tonsils occur infrequently. The most frequently reported benign tumors of the tonsils are papillomas, angiomas, fibromas, myxomas, lipomas, chondromas, inclusion cysts, and teratogenous cysts [1]. The patient presented with a 3-day history of dysphagia that was not associated with pain. He reported greater difficulty in swallowing solids than liquids. During the past weeks his sleep was disturbed due to a sensation of foreign body in the throat, causing him a nonproductive cough This progressed to difficulty in swallowing his saliva on the day of presentation and prompting him to attend the accident and emergency department. Blood pressure was 145/77, pulse was 78, SaO2 was 98, respiratory rate was 16/min, and temperature was 36.4◦C On examination of his oral cavity, depression of the tongue revealed a large oval, pale pediculate mass protruding from the upper pole of the right tonsil and partially obstructing the airway (Figure 1). Histological examination showed macroscopically a tonsil 28 × 22 × 8 mm in size with an exophytic polypoid nodule
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
