Spindle cell lipoma of the hypopharynx

We report a rare case of a spindle cell lipoma with atypical clinical course.

A 51 year old female patient referred to our clinic with feeling of mass in the throat she had had for two years. The patient described difficulty in swallowing. Indirect laryngoscopy did not reveal any masses at bilateral pyriform sinuses, and the mucosa had a natural appearance. However, a mass with a stalk was detected in the side of the mouth when the patient retched. Endoscopic monitoring of the mass revealed its origin to be the left sinus pyriformis. No pathological structures could be detected in the indirect laryngoscopy taken after the patient gulped again. The mass was shown by magnetic resonance imaging to extend into the esophagus. It was removed using suspension microlaryngoscopy. Postoperative control revealed a complete healing at the excision site. Immunohistochemical examination for pathological diagnosis indicated a spindle cell lipoma.

Laryngeal and hypopharyngeal lipomas are rare forms of benign laryngeal neoplasms. Their asymptomatic course makes diagnosis difficult. The patient is presented here with related clinical and pathological features.