Rare cause of respiratory distress syndrome in a child: Hamartoma of salivary gland in the nasopharynx

Rare cause of respiratory distress syndrome in a child: Hamartoma of salivary gland in the nasopharynx.

Relevance. Hamartoma of salivary gland or salivary gland anlage tumor (SGAT) is an extremely rare pathology found mainly in children in the early months of life. Description of the clinical observation. This article presents a clinical case of respiratory distress syndrome in a 4-month-old child arisen due to a salivary gland hamartoma in the nasopharynx. The symptoms are nonspecific and are mainly represented by respiratory distress syndrome, difficulty in feeding, apnea, and sleep breathing disorders. SGAT is most commonly found in children in the first months of life, but there are cases of later onset. SGAT is a benign neoplasm, and surgical resection is the main treatment option. SGAT is characterized by the absence of recurrence after removal. The histological picture is a combination of epithelial and mesenchymal components. Conclusion. SGAT – a rare benign nasopharyngeal neoplasm in a child in the first months of life. Early diagnostics including endoscopic examination of the nasopharynx, CT and MRI examinations allowed us to determine the operative treatment tactics, achieve a good functional result in the form of complete relief of the child’s complaints and prevent development of serious complications related to the upper airway obstruction.