Retropharyngeal Lipoma Presenting with a Foreign-Body Sensation in the Throat as the Chief Complaint; A Case Report

Abstract

A rare case of a retropharyngeal lipoma is reported here. A hypopharyngeal submucosal tumor was found in a 53 year-old female who had been suffering from a foreign-body sensation in the throat for about 10 years. According to the imaging studies, the hypopharyngeal submucosal lipoma was diagnosed as fatty tissue-like lesion in the retropharyngeal space. In the course of obtaining diagnosis, the MRI (STIR method, fatty suppression imaging) was found to be very usefull. The retropharyngeal tumor was removed via a transoral approach. An encapsulated, white-yellowish tumor measuring 29×18×17 mm in size was diagnosed as an infiltrating lipoma. After the surgery, the patient's foreign-body sensation disappeared. Since recurrences or malignant transformations of lipomas have been reported, a long term follow up was thought to be prudent