Subglottic Hemangioma: A Hidden Mass Presenting in an Unusual Age Group

Subglottic hemangiomas are rare in adulthood. The presence of the lesion in the subglottic region makes it even more unusual. Moreover, these lesions do not have a typical course and involution changes as seen in the infantile forms. An elderly female initially came with a brief history of dyspnea and symptoms of upper respiratory tract infection. The patient also complained of a change of voice and noisy breathing, with a recent history of intubation following COVID-19 pneumonia and late-onset bronchial asthma. Flexible nasopharyngolaryngoscopy showed a mass below the vocal folds, which was seen to arise from the posterior subglottic region. The patient eventually underwent endoscopic excision of the lesion under general anesthesia and recovered well. Symptoms of hoarseness and stridor, along with a history of intubation, should raise a high index of suspicion for laryngeal diseases. A delay in the diagnosis of an obstructing lesion in the subglottis occurs in the presence of a confounding lung infection and overlap of clinical features with those of bronchial asthma. Surgical excision is required not only to alleviate obstructive symptoms but also to rule out malignancy.