Sarcomatoid carcinoma of the pyriform sinus with brain and subcutaneous metastases : an unusual metastatic spread pattern

A 63-year-old man presented a polypoid tumor in the laryngeal space involving the right pyriform fossa. The patient underwent a total laryngectomy with bilateral functional neck dissection, and the diagnosis of sarcomatoid carcinoma with malignant fibrous histiocytoma-like stroma was established. Th...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:European archives of oto-rhino-laryngology 2000, Vol.257 (8), p.445-448
Main Authors: HARDISSON, David, DE DIEGO, Juan Ignacio, PRIM, Maria Pilar
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Abdominal Neoplasms - diagnosis
Abdominal Neoplasms - secondary
Biological and medical sciences
Brain Neoplasms - diagnosis
Brain Neoplasms - secondary
Carcinoma - diagnosis
Carcinoma - secondary
Carcinoma - surgery
Fatal Outcome
Humans
Laryngeal Neoplasms - pathology
Laryngeal Neoplasms - surgery
Laryngectomy
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Male
Medical sciences
Middle Aged
Neck Dissection
Otorhinolaryngology (head neck, general aspects and miscellaneous)
Otorhinolaryngology. Stomatology
Tomography, X-Ray Computed
Tumors
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Summary:A 63-year-old man presented a polypoid tumor in the laryngeal space involving the right pyriform fossa. The patient underwent a total laryngectomy with bilateral functional neck dissection, and the diagnosis of sarcomatoid carcinoma with malignant fibrous histiocytoma-like stroma was established. The tumor showed an uncommon behavior, with distant metastases to the brain and to the subcutaneous tissue of the abdominal wall. The patient died 1 year after the development of the metastases. Despite its polypoid pattern of growth, sarcomatoid carcinoma of the larynx may behave very aggressively. It is important for clinicians to be aware of the possibility of distant subcutaneous and brain metastases in sarcomatoid tumors of the laryngeal space. If such metastases develop, the prognosis is ominous, with an average life expectancy of 3 months.
ISSN:0937-4477
1434-4726
DOI:10.1007/s004050000257