Lingual tonsillar hypertrophy is an underappreciated cause of dysphagia and is believed to impede swallowing function by inhibition of laryngeal elevation and epiglottic inversion due to mechanical interference by bulky tongue base tissue. We present a case of severe dysphagia secondary to idiopathic tongue base hypertrophy that was treated with coblation lingual tonsillectomy and tongue base reduction.
