Laryngeal mucinous adenocarcinoma in a 45-year-old woman: a case report

This paper emphasizes on an infrequent case of primary laryngeal mucinous adenocarcinoma. Despite partial laryngectomies being a traditional surgical technique, it is not frequently used in the treatment of laryngeal lesions. We would like to highlight the efficacy of open partial laryngectomy as a viable treatment option in cases of nonsquamous cell carcinoma of the larynx. The use of traditional and modern surgical techniques can aid in the preservation of voice and swallowing functions. This case report has been reported in line with the SCARE Criteria [Sohrabi C, Mathew G, Maria N, Kerwan A, Franchi T, Agha RA. The SCARE 2023 guideline: updating consensus Surgical CAse REport (SCARE) guidelines. Int J Surg Lond Engl. 2023;109(5):1136].

This paper focuses on a 45-year-old female who consulted at a tertiary private hospital. She had no known medical comorbidities or family history of cancer who complained on persistent globus sensation and frequent throat clearing. Her symptoms subjectively were similar to acid reflux but on flexible endoscopy a laryngeal lesion was seen. The initial impression with the additional information gathered from a neck CT scan was that of a cystic lesion. During surgery, no cystic component was seen; tissue samples were sent for biopsy. The biopsy results were signed out as a case of mucinous adenocarcinoma. Given the age and medical status of the patient, an organ preservation surgery was done. Post operatively the patient was able to maintain all swallowing and phonatory capabilities.

There are currently two reported cases of primary laryngeal mucinous adenocarcinoma. Both cases were located in the supraglottic region presenting with dysphonia and dysphagia. Due to the limited number of cases, there is currently no standardized surgical or medical treatment for the management primary laryngeal mucinous adenocarcinomas.

Mucinous adenocarcinoma of the larynx is a rare disease usually found as distant metastatic lesions. Primary laryngeal mucinous adenocarcinoma is even more uncommon. To balance the oncological outcomes and life quality is important. We reported a primary laryngeal mucinous laryngeal adenocarcinoma after combined transoral transcervical partial laryngectomy that with good functional and oncological outcomes.