Asymptomatic laryngocele: incidence and association with laryngeal cancer

Since laryngoceles are usually asymptomatic, their incidence is probably higher than the literature suggests. With the advent of computed tomography, the incidence and significance of the asymptomatic laryngocele in a general head and neck practice can be addressed. To this end, 304 consecutive patients with a variety of otolaryngic diagnoses were studied prospectively by computed tomography of the neck from January 1983 to February 1985. Thirty-eight (12.5%) of the patients had asymptomatic laryngoceles, defined as air-containing structures in the supraglottic region extending more than 5 mm above the superior border of the thyroid cartilage during normal breathing. The incidence of laryngoceles associated with laryngeal cancer (29%) was higher than that for laryngoceles associated with other diseases (9%). No patient with an asymptomatic laryngocele not associated with laryngeal cancer showed evidence of a subsequent laryngeal neoplasm during close follow-up of 10 to 36 months.