Pyogenic Granuloma of the Lower Airway- A Systematic Review

Abstract

Introduction: Pyogenic granulomas (PGs) are benign lesions that are very common in the upper aerodigestive tract. These lesions occur due to hormonal imbalance or due to a predisposing traumatic factor. They are relatively rare in the lower respiratory tract. There are few published papers of PG involving the lower airway in the past 30 years. Aim: A case of pyogenic granuloma of larynx mimicking malignancy has been presented along with the systematic review on methods of diagnosis, successful management, and prevention of pyogenic granuloma recurrence in the lower respiratory tract. Materials and Methods: This systematic review of literature included reports from 1981 till date, where complete details of the records were available. These reports were collected from the search engines “PubMed” and “Google Scholar” using the MeSH terms “pyogenic granuloma” OR “lobular capillary haemangioma” AND “lower respiratory tract”. The results were reviewed by three different authors independently with a main focus on methods of diagnosis and successful management and prevention of recurrence. Results: A 59-year-old male patient presented to ENT Department with hoarseness of voice for the past six months. On examination with video laryngoscope, a pale pinkish polypoidal mass originating from the anterior commissure and extending into the subglottic wedge with normal vocal cord mobility was noted. Neck examination showed splaying of thyroid cartilage with tenderness and there were no palpable lymph nodes. Computed Tomography (CT) examination suggested a neoplastic etiology of thyroid cartilage erosion. The patient was managed by microlaryngeal excision of the mass and histopathological analysis revealed pyogenic granuloma with no evidence of malignancy. From the 25 papers reviewed, a predisposing trauma like a history of intubation/lower airway procedures like bronchoscopy or laryngoscopy is not a prerequisite for the occurrence of PG of the lower airway. The lesions can be excised via microlaryngoscopy or using the bronchoscope depending on the site of lesion. The various surgical modalities used for excision are cold steel dissection, laser excision and cryotherapy. Conclusion: Meticulous dissection and removal of the lesion with postoperative measures to prevent additional trauma like antireflux measures and appropriate antibiotic therapy seems to be helpful in preventing recurrence. Role of steroids in the management of pyogenic granuloma has not been supported by adequate literature. Further studies are required to comment on the adequacy of duration of follow-up.

Keywords

• larynx
• lobular capillary haemangioma
• tracheobronchial tree