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Video

Laryngology/Broncho-Esophagology

(A742) Vocal Fold Myxoma – an Unusual Finding

Monday, October 13, 2025
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM EDT
Location: OTO EXPO, Posters

    Co-Author(s)

  • Abigail Kennedy, MD

    Resident
    Mayo Clinic AZ
    Scottsdale, Arizona, United States

    • Presenting Author(s)

  • TH

    Tess Hill, MD

    Resident
    University of Texas Health San Antonio
    San Antonio, Texas, United States

    • Co-Author(s)

  • Juliana Robledo, DDS

    Assistant Professor
    University of Texas Health San Antonio
    San Antonio, Texas, United States

    • Panelist(s)

  • Mike Yang, MD

    Assistant Professor
    University of Texas Health San Antonio
    San Antonio, Texas, United States

Disclosure(s):
Abigail Kennedy, MD: No relevant relationships to disclose.
Tess Hill, MD: No relevant relationships to disclose.
Juliana Robledo, DDS: No relevant relationships to disclose.
Mike Yang, MD: No relevant relationships to disclose.


Introduction: Only 3% of myxomas occur in the head and neck, and laryngeal myxomas are even more rare with fewer than 30 cases reported in the literature. We present a case of a vocal fold myxoma.

Methods: A 79-year-old man presented with a 5-month history of dysphonia. The patient was a former heavy smoker but quit over a decade prior to presentation. His voice exam was characterized by severe vocal roughness and diplophonia. Stroboscopy revealed a large, smooth, lens-shaped sub-mucosal right vocal fold lesion spanning the length of the membranous glottis with a corresponding severe reduction in mucosal wave. The patient underwent suspension micro-laryngoscopy with microflap excision of the lesion.

Results: Intraoperatively, a gelatinous lesion was identified between the vocal ligament and thyroarytenoid muscle. Pathologic diagnosis was consistent with a vocal fold myxoma. The lesion was grossly characterized as pink-tan, friable soft tissue admixed with clear mucoid material. Histologic examination revealed a mesenchymal tumor composed of spindle to stellate cells distributed evenly within a mucinous stroma. There were no mitotic figures or cellular pleomorphism. At the periphery, the tumor appeared to infiltrate the adjacent fibrous stroma. Immunohistochemical stains were performed: CD34 highlighted vascular channels and S100, Sox-10 and smooth muscle actin were negative.

Conclusions: While rare, laryngeal myxomas should be considered in the differential of gelatinous intracordal vocal fold lesions. Vocal fold myxomas are treated with surgical excision with diagnosis on histopathology and immunohistochemical staining.