Spurious diagnosis of a cervical mass due to a laryngeal mask airway

The laryngeal mask airway (LMA) has become a popular alternative to endotracheal intubation. We report a case in which appropriate LMA placement resulted in an unrecognized neck mass and subsequent erroneous diagnosis of cervical lymphadenopathy. Otolaryngologists should be aware that the LMA may result in alterations of neck anatomy.