Retropharyngeal lymphangioma.

Retropharyngeal lymphangioma is exceedingly rare and has been reported in only one case report in English literature. We are presenting a case of a 21 month-old girl with a history of acute tonsillitis and acute inspiratory stridor due to retropharyngeal bulging. A needle aspiration was done for decompression of the airway and suspected retropharyngeal abscess. Aspiration produced transparent fluid and a CT scan with contrast excluded abscess formation. Because the lymphangioma persisted in spite of two repeated aspirations and with continued presence of inflammation, we used a transcervical approach to excise the cervical lymphangioma. After surgery dehydrated alcohol was injected into the retropharyngeal space. 27 months later there was no sign of recurrence (Fig. 2, Ref 12).