Leiomyosarcoma of the Larynx:
Case Report and Review of the Literature

S NANDA,¹ SD MAJUMDAR,¹ GK RATH,¹ S BAHADUR,² R RAY ^3
1 DEPARTMENT OF RADIOTHERAPY
² DEPARTMENT OF OTORHINOLARYNGOLOGY
³ DEPARTMENT OF PATHOLOGY
ALL INDIA INSTITUTE OF MEDICAL SCIENCES, NEW DELHI, INDIA

Primary leiomyosarcoma of the larynx is extremely rare, accounting for less than 1% of all malignant tumours in this region.¹ These tumours have a wide range of differentiation and highly cellular leiomyomas may be difficult to distinguish from well-differentiated leiomyosarcomas. The disease progression, treatment, and survival are derived from knowledge of this tumour in other sites of the head and neck such as the nose, paranasal sinuses, soft tissues, and pharynx.² report presents a case of leiomyosarcoma of the larynx. The patient was treated by total laryngectomy followed by postoperative radiotherapy. Few cases have been reported in the English literature.

Leiomyosarcoma of the larynx can be revealed by simple direct laryngoscopy in most cases. To know the extent of the lesion coronal and axial CT scans and magnetic resonance imaging scans are generally performed. Biopsy and immunohistochemistry should be done for every patient to ensure the histological diagnosis. It is generally accepted that the mainstay of sarcomas of the head and neck is still wide surgical extirpation.⁹ The role of radiotherapy has not yet been fully established but, in various studies, authors have used postoperative radiotherapy.

This patient underwent total laryngectomy and postoperative radiotherapy of 60 Gy in 30 fractions over 6 weeks. However, at this time, there are no definitive treatment guidelines available for treatment of this rare malignant tumour. This patient receives regular follow up and shows no evidence of disease after 16 months.