Topic Resources
Laryngoceles are internal outpouchings of a part of the voice box (larynx). Laryngoceles may bulge inward, resulting in hoarseness and airway obstruction, or outward, causing a visible lump in the neck. Laryngoceles are filled with air and can be expanded when a person breathes out forcefully with the mouth closed and the nostrils pinched shut. Laryngoceles tend to occur in musicians who play wind instruments. They may become infected or filled with mucus-like fluid and are usually drained or removed surgically.
Symptoms include hoarseness, cough, and the feeling of having a lump in the throat.
Endoscopic examination of the larynx (laryngoscopy) may be used for diagnosing laryngoceles. On a computed tomography (CT) scan, laryngoceles appear smooth and egg-shaped.
