Primary laryngeal NK/T-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma: a case report.

The estimated prevalence of extranodal non-Hodgkin lymphoma ranges from 10 to 35% of all cases; a finding in the larynx is extremely rare. We describe the case of a 77-year-old man who presented for evaluation of a 1-month history of minor swallowing difficulty, cough, and a foreign-body sensation in the throat. Fiberoptic endoscopy detected a tumor mass on the left aryepiglottic fold. Vocal fold mobility was normal. A biopsy specimen was obtained, and microscopic analysis revealed that the stratified squamous epithelium was partially eroded by abundant infiltrate that had occupied the entire submucosa. The submucosal infiltration consisted of lymphatic cells, including small, medium-sized, and large cells with an anaplastic appearance. On immunohistochemical analysis, the lymphoma cell population stained positive for CD3 and CD2, focally positive for CD56, and negative for CD4, CD5, and CD7. In addition, tumor cells expressed TIA-1, perforin, and granzyme B. A complete radiologic, pulmonologic, and hematologic workup found no other tumor. The patient underwent two cycles of chemotherapy followed by radiotherapy, and he experienced complete tumor regression. At the 1-year follow-up, findings on fiberoptic endoscopy of the larynx were normal, and positron-emission tomography found no evidence of a recurrence. The prognosis for this type of tumor is good when the diagnosis is made in the early phase of the disease. Long-term follow-up is advisable for the timely detection of possible local or distant recurrences, which are common.