Lingual thyroid in a young infant presenting as airway obstruction: report of a case

A case of lingual thyroid causing airway obstruction in a 3-month-old infant is reported. Endoscopic examination for stridor disclosed an obstructing 4 X 3 cm base of tongue lesion. Nuclear isotope scanning confirmed this to be the only thyroid tissue present in this patient. A transoral excision using the CO2 laser was performed without complication. Only one other case of airway obstruction in the young infant secondary to lingual thyroid has been reported, that being the original case description in 1869. A review of the embryology and discussion of the suggested therapies is presented. The rationale for use of the CO2 laser for this lesion is discussed.