Carcinoid Tumor of the Larynx: Case Report and Review of the World Literature

The clinical, light microscopic, and ultrastructural features of a carcinoid tumor occurring in the larynx of an 80-year-old man are presented and compared with 22 laryngeal carcinoids described in the world literature. These 23 tumors occurred in persons from 45 to 80 years of age (mean age was 61 years) and were three times more common in men than in women. Hoarseness was the most common presenting symptom. Sixty-one percent of the tumors were supraglottic, 26% were transglottic, 4% were glottic, 4% were subglottic, and 4% were unspecified. At least 15 (65%) of the patients are known to have developed metastases. Nine of these (60%) presnted with only regional lymph node metastases, one of which was occult. Surgery is the treatment of choice, with the extent dependent on the stage of disease. Radiation therapy appears ineffective, and chemotherapy is largely untested. The 2- and 4-year determinate survival rates were 59% and 25%, respectively.