Elsevier

American Journal of Otolaryngology

Volume 38, Issue 2, March–April 2017, Pages 260-262
American Journal of Otolaryngology

Case report
Laryngeal alveolar soft part sarcoma: A case report of a rare malignancy in an atypical location

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amjoto.2017.01.017Get rights and content

Abstract

Laryngeal sarcoma is a rare and potentially aggressive malignancy. In this case report, we present a 23 year-old-male with four-years of progressive hoarseness who was found to have a large left paraglottic mass. A partial laryngectomy was successful at completely excising the lesion. Final pathology returned as alveolar soft part sarcoma. Alveolar soft part sarcomas of the larynx are extremely rare with only five cases published in the current literature. This article provides a case presentation with literature review of alveolar soft part sarcoma of the head and neck.

Introduction

Alveolar soft part sarcoma (ASPS) is a rare malignancy accounting for 0.2% to 0.9% of soft tissue sarcomas [1]. This entity was first described in the literature by Christopherson et al. in 1952 after encountering several unique histologic entities during a 17 year period [2]. ASPS often occur in children and adolescents in the age range of 15 to 35 years [3], [4]. Frequent locations for presentation include the extremities, trunk, and head and neck region. 25% of reported ASPS cases occur in the head and neck region with the most common locations being the tongue and orbit [5], [6], [7]. Our literature review only identified 5 cases of ASPS originating in the larynx [6], [8], [9], [10], [11]. This case report provides a description, our treatment approach, and review of this rare malignancy in this atypical location.

Section snippets

Case report

The patient is a 23 year-old-male who presented with a 4-year history of progressive hoarseness. He denied any other associated symptoms including dysphagia or pain. Flexible nasolaryngoscopy revealed a large left sided submucosal mass occupying the entire left hemilarynx with bowing of the ipsilateral vocal cord (Fig. 1). Computer tomography (CT) showed a well-circumscribed non-cystic mass filling the left transglottic space with extension into the infraglottis. The mass abutted the arytenoid

Discussion

ASPS is overwhelmingly seen in adolescents and young adults [3], [4]. It is rarely seen in individuals younger than 5 years or older than 50 years [12]. The female to male ratio is approximately 2:1 [3], [4], [13], [14]. Female predominance is most noticeable in the first 3 decades of life and has slightly higher incidence in males in the later decades [4]. In adults, these tumors frequently present in the soft tissue of the thigh and buttock. In infants and children, ASPS often present in the

Conclusion

ASPS is an uncommon malignancy and even more rarely seen in the larynx. Research has been limited, especially specific to laryngeal ASPS, due to the exceedingly rare nature of this disease. Further examination of laryngeal ASPS cases is necessary to provide more details on the clinical, radiographic, histologic and molecular presentation of this disease as well as providing guidelines for best treatment.

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  • There are no conflicts of interest or financial disclosures to report.

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