EPITHELIOID LEIOMYOSARCOMA OF THE LARYNX

Background. Tumors of smooth muscle origin are rare in the upper aerod igestive tract, due to the paucity of smooth muscle in the area. A rev iew of the literature revealed 34 reported cases of leiomyoma, 9 cases of leiomyosarcoma, and only 2 cases of epithelioid leiomyoma arising in the larynx. Methods. A case report of an epithelioid leiomyosarcoma arising in the right piriform fossa of a 38-year-old man is presented . Results. The tumor was treated with conservative surgical resection and postoperative radiotherapy. There was no evidence of locoregional recurrence 2 years postsurgery, and laryngeal function was preserved. Conclusions. To our knowledge, this is the third case of a laryngeal e pithelioid smooth muscle tumor to be reported in the world literature and the only documentation of an epithelioid leiomyosarcoma arising in the larynx. (C) 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.