A rare cause of dysphagia

Background:

Inflammatory myofibroblastic tumors (IMT) are rare lesions of unkown etiology usually involving the Lungs. Laryngeal involvement is very rare. These tumors can mimic neoplastic lesions.

Case presentation:

A 56-years-old man presented at the Department of Otorhinolaryngology of the University Hospital Bochum with the complaint of dysphagia and intermittent dyspnea for 4 weeks. The patient showed no relevant comorbidities.

Results:

The laryngoscopy showed a lesion of the left aryepiglottical fold with a smooth mucosal surface. The CT scan revealed a 32 × 30 mm, heterogeneous mass. The patient underwent a panendoscopy. The pathological analysis of the lesion showed a chronic inflammation with stromal myxoid degeneration. The patient refused a complete tumor resection. After a tumor debulking the patient has been free of symptoms. The monthly follow up showed no progress of the lesion so far. To date, 36 cases of laryngeal IMT have been described in the literature. The mean age of disease presentation was 42,8 years. 25 males and 11 females have been affected. IMT can affect any subdivision of the larynx. The glottis represents 63,89% of the cases, the subglottic area 19,44%, the supraglottic area 11,11%.

Conclusion:

Laryngeal IMT are unusual tumors, that represent a diagnostic challenge due to its heteromorphic histological patterns and lack of morphological features. Surgical resection with negative margins remains the gold standard treatment. Strict follow-up is required.

Publication History

Publication Date:
12 June 2019 (online)