Carcinoid tumor of the larynx

Primary carcinoid of the larynx is an unusual neoplasm. Only one case could be traced in the literature so far. Another case, a 55-year-old male patient, is presented and discussed. The tumor proved to be malignant, showing histological, histochemical and electron microscopical characteristics of a carcinoid. Initially there was a striking discrepancy between the scanty findings in the larynx and the wide metastatic spread of the tumor into the cervical lymph nodes along the internal jugular vein, and the progression of the process was markedly slower than that of laryngeal carcinoma. Despite the massive dose of radiotherapy that had been administered after radical neck dissection in an attempt to preserve the larynx, the tumor continued to expand, infiltrating the laryngeal tissues and causing stenosis that necessitated total laryngectomy, thus again proving that the treatment of choice in laryngeal carcinoid should be wide surgical excision.