Primary laryngeal lymphoma

Laryngotracheal Stenosis Secondary to Mantle Cell Lymphoma

Acute laryngeal dyspnea is a life-threatening emergency often attributed to laryngeal tumors or inflammatory edema in adults. Primary laryngeal lymphomas are especially infrequent. As an aggressive subtype of B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) cases are particularly complex.  Herein, we present a case of laryngotracheal stenosis secondary to primary MCL. A comprehensive assessment, including in-office flexible laryngoscopy, revealed distinct findings within the supraglottis and subglottis. In the supraglottis, a submucosal lesion with well-defined, rounded edges was observed, while the subglottis exhibited a friable tumor occupying approximately 90% of the airway. This necessitated immediate intervention, leading to microlaryngoscopy, biopsy, and open tracheostomy. Due to the rarity of primary laryngeal lymphomas, they present a significant diagnostic challenge. Timely diagnosis is crucial to enable tailored therapeutic strategies and improved patient outcomes. This case highlights the importance of considering lymphomatous etiologies in the management of laryngotracheal stenosis and emphasizes the need for a multidisciplinary approach to optimize patient care.

A Case of Subglottic Marginal B-Cell Lymphoma With Laryngeal Amyloidosis

Laryngeal mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) is an extra-nodal margin zone B-cell lymphoma (MALT lymphoma) and a low-grade malignant lymphoma with a low incidence, the etiology of the condition remains obscure, and the process of differential diagnosis poses a significant challenge, so it is easy to miss diagnosis and misdiagnosis clinically. The present article presents a clinical case study of a patient who was diagnosed with subglottic MALT lymphoma, which was associated with laryngeal amyloidosis. The patient underwent a successful treatment regimen comprising carbon dioxide laser and radiotherapy. In addition, the article provides an overview of relevant literature that can aid in the diagnosis and management of this rare disease. The study is expected to contribute to the existing body of knowledge on the treatment of subglottic MALT lymphoma and laryngeal amyloidosis.

A Rare Case of Laryngeal Non-IgM Lymphoplasmacytic Lymphoma

Laryngeal lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma has been previously reported only a handful of times in the literature. It can be difficult to diagnose without significant histologic workup and proper methodology. Here, we demonstrate the first known case of laryngeal lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma with non-immunoglobulin M (IgM) features. In this case report, a 79-year-old female with seropositive rheumatoid arthritis presented with five months of dysphonia and dyspnea on exertion. Lab studies revealed high levels of serum IgA and IgG. Flexible laryngoscopy and computed tomography of the neck showed a left supraglottic submucosal mass, which was surgically excised with a carbon dioxide laser. The histology of the mass confirmed the diagnosis of lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma. The patient was treated with 30.6 Gy of radiation therapy and eight cycles of rituximab with successful remission of her lymphoma and no evidence of disease recurrence six months after treatment completion. Lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma without corresponding IgM gammopathy is unusual and has been shown to have a higher frequency of extramedullary involvement. This is the first known manifestation of non-IgM lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma in the larynx.

Nonepithelial Tumors of the Larynx: Single-Institution 13-Year Review with Radiologic-Pathologic Correlation

Nonepithelial tumors of the larynx are rare and represent a minority of all laryngeal neoplasms. Imaging has an important role in the diagnosis, treatment planning, and surveillance of these entities. However, unfamiliarity with these neoplasms can cause diagnostic difficulties for radiologists, especially because many of the imaging findings are nonspecific. By using a systematic approach based on clinical history, patient age and gender, lesion location, endoscopic results, and specific imaging findings, the differential diagnosis can often be narrowed. These tumors typically affect the submucosal layer, so if a tumor has an intact mucosa at endoscopy, a nonepithelial neoplasm is the most likely diagnosis. Nonepithelial tumors of the larynx can arise from the laryngeal cartilage or muscle or from the surrounding lymphoid tissue or blood vessels. Consequently, imaging findings typically correspond to the specific cell type from which it originated. Recognizing specific features (eg, metaplastic bone formation, macroscopic fat, or enhancement pattern) can often help narrow the differential diagnosis. In addition, identification of noncircumscribed borders of the lesion and invasion of the adjacent structures is key to diagnosis of a malignant process rather than a benign neoplasm. Understanding the pathologic correlation is fundamental to understanding the radiologic manifestations and is ultimately crucial for differentiation of nonepithelial laryngeal neoplasms. Online supplemental material is available for this article. ^©RSNA, 2020.

Hematologic malignancies of the larynx: A single institution review

BACKGROUND

Primary hematologic malignancies of the larynx are rare diagnoses, accounting for less than 1% of all laryngeal tumors. They most commonly present as submucosal masses of the supraglottis, with symptoms including hoarseness, dysphagia, dyspnea and rarely cervical lymphadenopathy.

PURPOSE

METHODS: Retrospective case series of patients in a tertiary academic laryngeal practice with hematologic malignancy of the larynx presenting over a 10 year period; charts were reviewed for diagnosis, symptoms, treatment, and outcomes.

RESULTS

12 patients were found to have primary presentation of a hematologic malignancy within the larynx between 2009 and 2019. A submucosal mass was the most common finding, and hoarseness was the most common symptom. Local control of disease was high. Airway obstruction was managed with tracheostomy. Several patients required tube feeding prior to disease control. Most patients underwent radiation therapy and chemotherapy, although surgery alone was effective in patients with isolated disease.

CONCLUSIONS

Hematologic malignancies of the larynx are rare but treatable. Biopsy is the mainstay of diagnosis, and imaging may be helpful to exclude diseases with a similar physical presentation (i.e., laryngocele). Prognosis depends on diagnosis but is generally favorable.

Primary laryngeal lymphoma in China: a retrospective study of the last 25 years

OBJECTIVE

To retrospectively study the primary laryngeal lymphoma cases in China reported in Chinese-language literature.

METHOD

Chinese-language literature was searched for papers on primary laryngeal lymphoma published in the last 25 years.

RESULTS

The selected papers comprised a total of 115 cases. The male-to-female ratio was 3.4:1. Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma was the exclusive pathological type. The estimated 3-year, 5-year and 10-year survival rates were 70.9 ± 6.4 per cent, 63.4 ± 7.6 per cent and 56.4 ± 9.5 per cent respectively, as determined by Kaplan-Meier analysis. B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma patients had a better prognosis than T-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma patients (p = 0.032). Patients with lymph node involvement at diagnosis had a poorer prognosis (p < 0.01).

CONCLUSION

Primary laryngeal lymphoma is a rare disease with no specific clinical features. More than one biopsy might be needed to obtain the correct diagnosis. Proper treatment could lead to promising outcomes. The T-cell subtype and lymph node involvement at diagnosis might indicate worse prognosis.

Epidemiology and prognostic indicators in laryngeal lymphoma: A population-based analysis

OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS

To characterize the epidemiology of primary laryngeal lymphoma and to determine the prognostic factors affecting survival in patients with this disease.

STUDY DESIGN

A retrospective cohort study using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database, including cases from 1973 to 2014.

METHODS

A population-based analysis was conducted with patients from more than 15 different geographic regions across the United States. Patients were chosen based on a diagnosis of lymphoma and a primary lymphoma site within the larynx. Two hundred cases were eligible based on the inclusion criteria, and characteristic as well as clinical variables were then extracted from the database and analyzed. Characteristic and clinical variables included age, race, sex, primary site of lymphoma involvement, general histology, specific histologic subtype, tumor grade, and Ann Arbor staging. Exposure variables that were analyzed included radiation therapy and chemotherapy. Overall survival (OS) and disease-specific survival (DSS) were the main outcomes calculated using multivariate analysis.

RESULTS

A total of 200 cases of laryngeal lymphoma were identified. The mean age at diagnosis was 64.2 years. The cohort was composed of 53% males. B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) accounted for 74% of cases, whereas natural killer/T-cell NHL accounted for 10% of cases. A total of 53.1% of patients received radiation therapy, whereas 47.5% received chemotherapy. The median OS was 9.15 years and median DSS was 24.5 years. OS at 2, 5, and 10 years was 74%, 63%, and 44%, respectively. On multivariate analysis, older age, male sex, and advanced Ann Arbor staging were associated with worse OS, whereas only male sex and advanced Ann Arbor staging were associated with worse DSS (all P values < .05). Radiation and chemotherapy were not associated with improved survival.

CONCLUSIONS

Female sex and lower Ann Arbor staging are independent positive prognostic indicators for survival, whereas other clinical variables such as grade and histology do not have an effect on survival. Radiation and chemotherapy do not appear to confer a mortality benefit in patients with primary laryngeal lymphoma, which may have implications on clinical decision making as well as patient education about disease prognosis.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

4. Laryngoscope, 128:2044-2049, 2018.

All That Wheezes Is Not Asthma: A Case of Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma of the Larynx

Localized laryngeal lymphoma is a rare entity with an incidence of less than 1% of all laryngeal neoplasms. Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is the most common type of laryngeal neoplasms. Here, we describe a case of a young 28-year-old female with large B-cell lymphoma who remained undiagnosed for a long time owing to a myriad of nonspecific presentation including "wheezing." Although primary laryngeal lymphomas constitute a diagnostic challenge since they are rare, one should have a high index of suspicion for lymphoma of the larynx in patients presenting with unresolved wheezing as it can present catastrophically with acute airway obstruction requiring immediate surgical intervention which was observed in this case. Treatment includes radiotherapy, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, or a combination of these. We hope that the discussions ensuing from case reports regarding uncommon presentations of laryngeal lymphoma may spur the formation of regional/international databases for the description of lymphomas with unusual presentations. This effort can lead to in-depth study of cases and prompt awareness of "rare and subtle presentations" of laryngeal lymphoma.

An Unusual Presentation of B-Cell Lymphoma as a Large Isolated Epiglottic Mass: Case Report and Literature Review

Extranodal presentation of B-cell lymphoma is uncommon. Isolated primary epiglottic B-cell lymphoma is even rarer. To our knowledge, there has been only one description of isolated B-cell lymphoma presenting as a large epiglottic mass. We report an unusual type of B-cell lymphoma of the epiglottis, as it could not be subtyped based on routine staining and hybridization. The lymphoma presented as a large isolated globular mass pedicled to the epiglottis, occupying most of the oropharynx, but did not have any ball-valving effect or increased respiratory efforts. Initial radiographic findings were nonspecific. The diagnosis of B-cell lymphoma was determined by transoral incisional biopsy under local anesthesia. The condition was treated successfully with chemoradiation. The current standard of treatment for high grade B-cell lymphoma is concurrent chemoradiotherapy, with excellent prognosis. Although rare, B-cell lymphoma should be considered when investigating pedunculated hypopharyngeal masses.

Individual participant data meta-analysis of primary laryngeal lymphoma: Focusing on the clinical characteristics and prognosis

OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS

Primary lymphoma of the larynx is rare. The symptoms are ambiguous and nonspecific, and confirmation of the diagnosis is often difficult. To better understand the clinical characteristics of this distressing disease, we performed an individual participant data meta-analysis focusing on the diagnoses and treatment outcomes.

STUDY DESIGN

Systematic review article.

METHODS

A literature search of the MEDLINE, Embase, and Cochrane library databases was conducted using the following Medical Subject Headings and keywords: "primary," "lymphoma," "cancer," and "larynx." The individual data of 57 patients from 41 articles were selected based on the inclusion criteria for the analysis.

RESULTS

The mean age of the 57 patients at the time of diagnosis was 53.9 ± 18 years, and there was a preponderance of male patients (male:female = 35:22). The mean follow-up was 33.2 ± 40.5 months. The most common symptom was hoarseness (70.2%). Extension of the lymphoma was found in the supraglottic larynx (63.2%). B-symptoms were noted in only 14.0% of patients. The treatment method and disease extent were not significant factors. The significant prognostic factors were the biopsy frequency (P = .000), B-symptoms (P = .032), and cell type (P < .001).

CONCLUSIONS

From an analysis of larynx lymphoma patients, accurate biopsy, the presence of B-symptoms, and the cell type of the lymphoma are important to the prognosis. However, the treatment method was not effective in predicting the prognosis.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

NA.

Primary granulocytic sarcoma of larynx

BACKGROUND

Granulocytic sarcoma is an extramedullary tumor of myeloblasts. The purpose of this report was to present a case of a primary laryngeal granulocytic sarcoma and review of the literature.

METHODS

A literature review was performed using Medline and PubMed databases to search for cases of all primary and secondary myelogenous tumors of the larynx.

RESULTS

A 36-year-old man presented with a mass involving the preepiglottic space that was histologically confirmed as an extramedullary acute myeloid leukemia, or granulocytic sarcoma. Our review found 18 cases of secondary involvement of the larynx by myelogenous tumors, and only 1 previously reported case of primary laryngeal granulocytic sarcoma.

CONCLUSION

The detection of granulocytic sarcoma is difficult given its rarity and nonspecific presentation. To our knowledge, this is the second reported case of primary granulocytic sarcoma of the larynx reported in the literature.

Laryngeal lymphoma: the high and low grades of rare lymphoma involvement sites

The larynx is an extremely rare site of involvement by lymphomatous disease. We present two cases of isolated laryngeal high-grade and another low-grade lymphoma, together with a literature review of laryngeal lymphoma management.

Primary laryngeal lymphoma: report of 3 cases and review of the literature

BACKGROUND

Extranodal lymphomas limited to the larynx are rare, accounting for less than 1% of all laryngeal neoplasms. The aim of this study was to report the experience of our department in the management of these aggressive lesions, as they require special diagnostic and therapeutic attention.

METHODS

The case records of 3 patients with the diagnosis of lymphoma involving the larynx were retrospectively reviewed.

RESULTS

The histopathological diagnosis revealed 1 case of marginal zone lymphoma mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue type, 1 case of T-lymphoblastic lymphoma, and 1 case of a rare coexistence of in situ squamous cell carcinoma with an isolated intravascular (angioimmunoblastic) lymphoma of peripheral T-cell origin. Details of the presentation, diagnostic procedures, treatment, and outcome of these patients were presented.

CONCLUSIONS

Primary laryngeal lymphoma is a rare entity. Early symptoms are subtle and nonspecific, and confirmation of the diagnosis is often difficult. Because of the rarity of this tumor type, the optimal management remains controversial and it seems that should be managed not as a distinct disease entity but as an unusual presentation of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, according to the recent treatment trends.

Imaging characteristics of primary laryngeal lymphoma

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

The larynx is a rare site for primary NHL. Fewer than 100 cases have been reported in the literature, with the largest imaging review involving only 4 patients. We describe the findings of laryngeal lymphoma on CT, PET, and MR imaging and identify features that may distinguish laryngeal lymphoma from the far more common laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Multi-institutional retrospective chart review revealed 20 patients with histopathologically proved laryngeal lymphoma. Pretreatment CT, PET, and MR images were reviewed by a head and neck radiologist, focusing on extent of tumor, cervical lymph node involvement, and enhancement patterns.

RESULTS

Patients ranged from 30 to 90 years of age with a mean of 63 years at the time of initial diagnosis and a 2:1 female predominance. The average tumor size was 37 +/- 19 mm. In all patients, laryngeal lymphoma involved the supraglottis but also extended into the glottis (65%) and hypopharynx (60%). The subglottis was less frequently involved (35%). Laryngeal cartilage invasion and cervical lymphadenopathy were each seen in 20% of patients. Lymphoma was consistently FDG-avid (100%) and usually enhanced uniformly with iodinated contrast (73%). Necrosis and calcification were not seen in any cases.

CONCLUSIONS

Although laryngeal lymphoma is rare, particular imaging features suggest this diagnosis. A large uniformly enhancing supraglottic tumor without central necrosis and without cervical lymphadenopathy is a characteristic finding of lymphoma. Similar to squamous cell carcinoma, lymphoma may extend into the subglottis, pharynx, and laryngeal cartilages.

Primary Laryngeal Lymphoma: Case Report

Extranodal laryngeal lymphoma is extremely rare. We report a case of primary laryngeal lymphoma in a 76-year-old man who had presented with a 7-week history of progressive hoarseness. Laryngoscopy revealed asymmetry of the right false vocal fold. Pathology of a deep biopsy specimen identified a malignant, diffuse, CD20-positive, B-cell lymphoma. The stage IE lymphoma completely resolved after treatment with CHOP (cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone) and rituximab. Despite its relative rarity, the consequences of a missed diagnosis warrant vigilance for this type of laryngeal tumor.

Primary non-hodgkin lymphoma of the larynx

A rare case of primary large B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma of the larynx is reported. The patient was an 80-year-old female who presented with pharyngeal discomfort and dysphagia. Radiotherapy was instituted with complete remission of the tumor. Nine months afterward, she presented with aspiration pneumonia and dysphagia. Indirect laryngoscopy disclosed laryngeal and esophageal edema, which was probably related to radiotherapy. No signs of tumor recurrence were observed. Three months later, she was entirely asymptomatic. Although cases of aggressive course and poor response to therapy exist, primary large B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma of the larynx is generally considered a relatively benign and radiosensitive tumor.

[Subglottic MALT-type lymphoma: unusual location]

We report a case of a 79-year-old woman presenting subglottic tumor whose hystopathological study was MALT-type lymphoma. After excluding the possibility of systemic dissemination, local radiotherapy treatment was applied. The interest of this study lies in the rare involvement of haematopoietic neoplasms in the larynx, especially the MALT-type in subglottic location. We review the literature on this subject, exposing the clinical, therapeutical and follow up data in respect to the initial location of the lymphoma.

Unusual T- and T/NK- cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma of the larynx: a diagnostic challenge for clinicians and pathologists

BACKGROUND

Lymphomas of T-cell and T/natural killer (T/NK)-cell types rarely involve the larynx. Early symptoms are subtle and nonspecific, and confirmation of the diagnosis is often difficult. Because of the rarity of this disease entity, the optimal management remains controversial.

METHODS

The case records of patients with the diagnosis of lymphoma involving the larynx were retrospectively reviewed. Details of the pathologic condition, the difficulties in diagnosis, and treatment were presented.

RESULTS

One case of T-cell lymphoma (Lennert's lymphoma subtype) and two cases of T/NK-cell lymphomas involving the larynx were presented. The diagnoses were all difficult to establish. All three patients received either multiagent chemotherapy or radiotherapy as the first-line treatment. They all died of the disease within 32 months of diagnosis.

CONCLUSIONS

T- and T/NK-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma of the larynx is a diagnostic challenge for clinicians and pathologists. Conventional chemotherapy or radiotherapy has not been effective. A more aggressive therapy should be considered.