The Turkish Journal of Pediatrics
2014 , Vol 56 , Num 6
Ectopic Salivary Gland of the Base of the Tongue: A Rare Cause of Neonatal Respiratory Distress
Departments of 1Otolaryngology and 3Pathology and 2Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, Erciyes University Faculty of Medicine. E-mail: dr.kokoglu@gmail.com
Neonatal upper airway obstruction is a life-threatening condition and requires
rapid assessment and effective treatment. Malformations of the upper airway
of a newborn can lead to acute respiratory distress. The aim of the present
paper is to report the case of a newborn with respiratory distress due to
a tongue base mass, which was removed surgically. The patient needed a
tracheostomy tube for only three days and then could breathe spontaneously.
However, he had swallowing problems, which decreased gradually over 9
months. Histopathologically, the mass was found to consist of mucous salivary
glands, and was recorded as an ectopic salivary gland, which is extremely
rare among the types of masses that may cause upper airway obstruction
in a newborn.
Keywords :
tongue, respiratory distress, newborn, ectopic tissue, salivary glands.