Primary carcinoid tumor of the larynx

A case of laryngeal carcinoid in a 54-year-old Korean female is reported and discussed. This tumor is extremely rare in the larynx and there have been just over twenty cases reported in the literature to date. The case showed an initial histologic finding of epithelial dysplasia and was finally confirmed to be a carcinoid tumor. Laryngeal carcinoids are often atypical histologically and may be misdiagnosed as undifferentiated carcinoma. An electron microscopic study revealed neurosecretory-type granules. Although the patient underwent a total laryngectomy and radical neck dissection, multiple hepatic metastasis was noted postoperatively.