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Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2003;129:371.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text and any section headings.

Diagnosis: Hairy polyp

A hairy polyp is an uncommon developmental malformation that is usually found in the oronasopharynx before the patient's first birthday. Despite its rarity, it is the most common congenital nasopharyngeal mass.¹ The number of cases reported has risen sharply in the last 10 to 15 years, most likely because of the capacity for better examination (flexible endoscopy, computed tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging) rather than because of an actual increase in incidence.

Clinical features depend on the polyp's size and location. Most cases present with respiratory distress or feeding problems.¹ Because of the variability in size of these lesions, the degree of compromise varies from mild to life threatening. Reported sizes range from 0.5 to 6 cm.² Other presentations include chronic cough, nasal discharge and obstruction, epistaxis, and a detectable mass.^2-6 Depending on location, eustachian tube dysfunction or a middle ear mass may prompt clinical attention.

Sixty percent of hairy . . . [Full Text of this Article]

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Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2003;129(3):369.
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