Pharyngeal dermoid cyst causing partial upper airway obstruction in a cat

Lydia Koch; Peter Csebi; Karoline Lipnik; Gabriele Gradner

doi:10.1177/20551169221122853

Pharyngeal dermoid cyst causing partial upper airway obstruction in a cat

JFMS Open Rep. 2022 Sep 28;8(2):20551169221122853. doi: 10.1177/20551169221122853. eCollection 2022 Jul-Dec.

Authors

Lydia Koch¹, Peter Csebi², Karoline Lipnik³, Gabriele Gradner¹

Affiliations

¹ Small Animal Surgery, Department for Small Animals and Horses, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
² Clinical Unit of Diagnostic Imaging, Department for Small Animals and Horses, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
³ Institute of Pathology, Department for Pathobiology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria.

Abstract

Case summary: A 2-year-old cat was presented with nasopharyngeal stridor and stertor. Radiographs of the upper neck region showed a mass lesion in the nasopharynx. A nasopharyngeal polyp was suspected, but an attempt at endoscopic removal failed, owing to fragmentation of the mass and excessive haemorrhage. A sample was taken and histology confirmed a dermoid cyst. CT was performed and the lesion was described as most likely to be a dermoid cyst, consistent with the histopathological findings. Surgical exploration and subsequent complete removal of the mass led to a full recovery.

Relevance and novel information: The nasopharyngeal location represents a previously unreported location of a dermoid cyst. This report raises awareness of dermoid cysts as a potential differential diagnosis within the nasopharyngeal region and highlights the importance of pre-interventional diagnostic imaging.

Keywords: Dermoid cyst; airway obstruction; pharynx; stridor.

Publication types

Case Reports