Rationale: Nasal glial heterotopia is a rare type of neoplasm consisting of meningothelial and/or neuroglial elements.
Patient concerns: A 2-month-old male was evaluated for treatment of a congenital mass in the right nasal cavity near the pharynx.
Diagnoses: The patient was preoperatively diagnosed with a congenital intranasal neoplasm.
Interventions: Nasal endoscopic resection of the nasopharyngeal mass was performed under general anesthesia. Histological examination of the resected tissue provided a diagnosis of intranasal glial heterotopia.
Outcomes: The surgical outcome was good, with no surgical site infection. After 1 year of follow-up, the boy was asymptomatic with no recurrence.
Lessons: Excision of a nasopharyngeal mass via nasal endoscopy resulted in no recurrence during 1 year of follow-up. Before any surgical treatment for suspected glial heterotopia, the mass should be differentiated clinically and radiologically from an encephalocele to prevent the risk of cerebrospinal fluid leakage and meningitis.