A frog in the throat? An expansile mass presenting in the neck with dysphonia

Summary

A neck mass, which rapidly increases in size over several weeks, is concerning for all involved. When accompanied by other symptoms suggesting sinister underlying pathology, efficient management and rapid diagnosis are vital. The causes may include primary or metastatic carcinoma, or lymphoreticular malignancy. Other non-sinister pathology may account for the swelling such as reactive lymph nodes or benign neoplasms. A benign neoplasm of the lymphatic system known as a lymphangioma may rarely be the cause of a mass in the neck in adults. More commonly found in infants, with approximately 40% found at birth, they are seldom encountered in adults. In children, they have the propensity to infiltrate into and around muscles and neurovascular structures, occasionally leading to difficult surgical excision. The authors present an unusual case of an adult patient with an expansile mass in the supraclavicular fossa of insidious onset. It was associated with dysphagia and hoarseness of voice.