Carcinoma arising in a pleomorphic adenoma of the epiglottis

Despite the abundance of minor salivary glands within the larynx, pleomorphic adenomas are rarely found. It is therefore not surprising that there are few reports of malignant mixed tumours in this site. We describe a case of carcinoma arising in a pleomorphic adenoma of the epiglottis which, to our knowledge, has not been described previously. The patient underwent a horizontal partial laryngectomy and functional neck dissection and is well one year postoperatively. We feel this represents a suitable approach to treatment for this rare tumour.