Laryngeal mucoepidermoid carcinoma: report of two cases

Mucoepidermoid carcinoma (MEC) of the larynx is a rare neoplasm, with a review of the literature having disclosed only 83 documented cases. These tumours are believed to develop from ductal elements of the submucosal glands [Gomes V, Costarelli L, Cimino G, Magaldi L, Bisceglia M. Mucoepidermoid carcinoma of the larynx. Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol 1990;248:31-4]. The most common sites are the floor of the laryngeal ventricle, false vocal folds and anterior comissure [Alavi S, Namazie A, Calcaterra TC, Blackwell KE. Glandular carcinoma of the larynx: the UCLA experience. Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol 1998;108:485-9]. We describe two cases of MEC of the larynx. One of them was a transglottic and the other one a supraglottic tumour. First patient was treated with total laryngectomy (TL) and right extended radical neck dissection (RND). Second case was treated with supracricoid laryngectomy (SCL) and bilateral posterolateral neck dissection (PLND). Both patients received radiotherapy (RT) and their 1-year follow-up showed no evidence of recurrence or metastasis. The diagnostic and therapeutic aspects of these cases are discussed.