A case of congenital aplasia of the epiglottis in an adult.

Aplasia or hypoplasia of the epiglottis in an adult is rarely reported congenital anomaly of the larynx. Most patients with epiglottic aplasia have presented fatal symptom of respiratory distress and severe aspiration in infancy or childhood. We present a case of congenital absence of the epiglottis found in a 33-year-old woman complaining of recurrent lingual tonsillitis. Laryngoscopic finding and CT scan revealed an isolated epiglottic aplasia and normal appearance of other laryngeal structure. This is the first description of physiologic evaluation in an epiglottic anomaly to find the compensatory mechanism of aspiration prevention. We discussed this case with a review of literature.