Smooth-muscle tumor of the hypopharynx area - A case report.

Background: Leiomyoma and Leiomyosarkoma are not often found in ENT-disease s. Patients: We report on a 62-year old female patient presenting with a 3x 4 cm tumor in the oropharynx that had developed within a period of about th ree weeks. The patient complained of increasing dysphagia and dyspnea espec ially when lying on the left side. To secure breathing the patient had to b e primarily ventilated by placing a needle percutaneously through the conic al ligament and was then intubated. For this procedure the patient was posi tioned on the right side. The tumor measuring 3 cm, was removed surgically. Results: The tumor turned out to be a leiomyomatous neoplasia of undetermi ned malignant potential. Since an unfavourable behaviour of such neoplasms cannot be excluded, patients with tumors of this type should be followed cl osely. Conclusions: In this case the tumor leads to an acute dyspnoea and a special procedure of anesthesia was necessary. Therapeutic considerations and differential diagnosis of this very rare tumor of the oropharynx are di scussed by reviewing the literature.