Epiglottic Cysts – A retrospective case series study from a tertiary care hospital

Background: Epiglottic cysts, were diagnosed de novo, few previously undiagnosed or asymptomatic, and may be incidentally found during intubation. Surgical management basically consists of marsupialization and excision. Aim of the study: To highlight the situations of diagnosis of epiglottis cysts including being detected during intubation. To report the surgical method used for the treatment. Materials: Fourteen patients who underwent endoscopic Microlaryngeal surgery after being diagnosed under general anesthesia at our hospital over an eight year period retrospectively. Results: 14 patients with epiglottis cysts were reported out of 3584 patients in different encounters in a tertiary care Hospital. 04 were diagnosed in children aged less than 12 years. 05 patients were aged between 25 and 38 years. 04 were aged between 55 and 68 years and 01 in the age group of 69 to 75 years. The incidence was 0.39% among the entire OPD of the Hospital. Conclusions: In the present study and our experience with patients undergoing oral surgery under general anesthesia, epiglottis cysts were encountered more often than previously documented. Video laryngoscopes (VLs) proved to be generally effective in aiding intubation in these cases. It is advisable to have VLs readily accessible to manage unforeseen challenges with ventilation and intubation. When available, preoperative imaging such as craniocervical CT or MRI should be thoroughly reviewed.