Adenoid cystic carcinoma of the larynx: a report of six cases with review of the literature

Abstract

Conclusion: Adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) in the larynx is an extremely rare entity. Although the 5-year disease-specific survival rates for laryngeal ACC are high, distant metastasis might occur up to more than 5 years post treatment. Therefore patients with ACC require long-term follow-up. Objective: To summarize the characteristics of laryngeal ACC by analyzing six cases in a single center. Methods: This was a retrospective analysis of six patients with laryngeal ACC who were treated in Beijing Tongren Hospital between 1998 and 2013. Results: The mean age at diagnosis was 44 years, ranging from 15 to 61 years. Dyspnea was the most common complaint. All patients underwent combined-modality treatment with surgical resection and external beam radiation. The range of follow-up time varied from 1 to 7 years (median 5 years). Follow-up inspections indicated that none of them had local or regional recurrence. Distant metastasis occurred in 33.7% (2/6) of the patients, with one lung metastasis 5 years after operation and one liver metastasis 4 years after operation.

Keywords:

• Treatment
• follow-up
• dyspnea
• laryngeal carcinoma

Declaration of interest: The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.