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Upper airway distress due to an oropharyngeal infantile myofibroma

Alberto Garcia-Perla1, Rodolfo Belmonte-Caro, Pedro Infante-Cossio

  • 1Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, University Hospital, Seville, Spain. agarciaperla@us.es

Journal of Cranio-Maxillo-Facial Surgery : Official Publication of the European Association for Cranio-Maxillo-Facial Surgery
|July 8, 2011
PubMed

Insights

Infantile myofibroma, a rare fibrous tumor, can cause airway obstruction in infants. Complete surgical resection via a transoral approach successfully treated an eight-month-old with this condition, showing no recurrence after five years.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Oncology
  • Surgical Pathology
  • Otolaryngology

Background:

  • Infantile myofibroma is a rare benign fibrous tumor typically presenting at birth.
  • Airway obstruction is an uncommon but serious complication of infantile myofibroma.
  • Neonatal and infant cases of infantile myofibroma causing airway compromise are exceptionally rare.

Observation:

  • An eight-month-old infant presented with progressive respiratory distress.
  • A computed tomography (CT) scan revealed a large (7x5x5cm) mass in the left parapharyngeal space, obstructing the oropharynx.
  • The mass exhibited well-defined margins.

Findings:

  • Complete surgical resection of the parapharyngeal infantile myofibroma was achieved using a transoral approach.
  • The surgical procedure was completed without intraoperative complications.
  • Post-operative follow-up for five years showed no evidence of tumor recurrence or long-term sequelae.

Implications:

  • The transoral approach is a viable and effective surgical strategy for managing parapharyngeal infantile myofibromas in infants.
  • Early diagnosis and complete resection can lead to excellent long-term outcomes for infantile myofibroma.
  • This case expands the understanding of infantile myofibroma as a cause of pediatric airway obstruction and highlights successful surgical management.

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