NEUROENDOCRINE NEOPLASMS OF THE LARYNX

Neuroendocrine neoplasms of the larynx are a rare group of tumors that include carcinoid tumor, atypical carcinoid tumor, and small cell car cinoma. These neoplasms pose interesting diagnostic, prognostic, and t herapeutic dilemmas, and they are, as a whole, aggressive tumors with a tendency for local and distant spread. The authors of this study exa mined six new cases of laryngeal neuroendocrine neoplasms. One case ma nifested itself as a primary atypical carcinoid tumor and caused a ''c arcinoid syndrome.'' The remaining five cases were small cell carcinom as of the larynx. Histologic, immunocytochemical, DNA flow cytometric, and p53 studies were performed on all cases. The expression of neuron -specific enolase and chromogranin were the most useful markers in thi s group of tumors. Overexpression of p53 protein was present in the ma jority of cases, including the atypical carcinoid tumor. The implicati ons of these studies for diagnosis, classification, and treatment are discussed.