Pharyngeal dermoid leading to respiratory failure in a neonate

Difficulty in resuscitating a neonate using bag and mask ventilation was followed by later episodes of apnoea and cyanosis. Intubation relieved the respiratory failure and revealed a large fleshy polyp obstructing the posterior pharynx. Computerised tomography showed there was no superior extension of the lesion and the polyp was removed completely on operation. Histological examination showed this lesion to be a dermoid or "Hairy Polyp".