Primary non-Hodgkin's lymphoma of the larynx in an AIDS patient.

A case of primary non-Hodgkin's lymphoma of the larynx in an AIDS patient is presented with a review of the literature. Non-Hodgkin's lymphomas in AIDS patients are common but the primary laryngeal presentation is very rare. The symptoms usually include dysphonia and progressive airway obstruction requiring tracheostomy. As with laryngeal non-Hodgkin's laryngeal lymphomas in non-HIV positive patients the majority are of B cell lineage and respond well to radiotherapy. Our patient had a high grade lymphoma of B cell lineage which showed a good response to radiotherapy. The role of chemotherapy and surgery is not yet established. We suggest that the diagnosis of AIDS should not influence the management of these patients unless the individual is in the terminal disease stage.