Cysts of the larynx : A clinicopathologic study of nine cases

In this only report from India, nine patients with laryngeal cysts have been diagnosed in the 24 year period from Jan 1971 through Jan 1996 representing 0.01 % of 1,05,279 general biopsies and 1.16% of 774 laryngeal biopsies received. The patients were mainly male with a mean age of 48.87 years. They presented with laryngeal obstructive symptoms. Six of the patients were chronic cigarette smokers. None had history of voice abuse. Laryngoscopic examination showed solitary cysts situated in the supraglottic region in seven cases and in the true vocal cords in two. Using modified DeSanto's classification of laryngeal cysts putforth by Newman et al (1984), four were ductal, three saccular and one of tonsillar type. However, one of the cysts having features of an epidermoid cyst could not fit into the classification. The major proposed classifications of laryngeal cysts which are in practice have resulted in much confusion for both clinicians and pathologists and these have been studied in depth and their implications discussed here.