Retropharyngeal meningioma is a rare cause of acute respiratory distress

A 69 year old man presented to hospital with acute respiratory distress following a fall. A retropharyngeal tumour mass was delineated by computed tomography and subsequently resected transorally. The tumour was identified as a meningotheliomatous meningioma. There was no evidence of intracranial meningioma. Extracranial meningioma is an unusual condition with the rare potential for causing respiratory insufficiency mediated by either mechanical airway obstruction or denervation.