Four Cases of Hypopharynx Hemangioma

Abstract

Hypopharynx hemangioma is a rare disease. In the four cases we encountered, the hemangioma was localized in the hypopharynx. In all four cases, the hemangioma had a dark red color, and the surface was irregular and broad. Plain CT revealed a low density tumor, while contrast CT revealed a high density mass. The tumor showed hypointensity on T1-weighted spin-echo magnetic resonance image (MRI), and hyperintensity on T2-weighted spin-echo MRI. The tumor margin showed hyperintensity during the early stage of T1Gd-DTPA contrast, while the overall tumor showed hyperintensity during the latter stage. Two cases were treated by tracheostomy and cryosugery under general anesthesia. The other two cases were treated by lateral pharyngotomy and resecting the tumor under general anesthesia. We performed tracheostomy on the cases treated by cryosurgery because we took into consideration the dyspnea caused by laryngeal edema after surgery. However, tracheostomy appeared unnecessary when we discovered only a hemangioma on the piriform sinus of the hypopharynx and the larynx was not frozen during cryosurgery.