Rhabdomyoma of the hypopharynx and larynx. Report of two cases and a review of the literature.

Two cases of extracardiac rhabdomyoma are reported in a 54-year-old man with unexplained difficulty in breathing and in a 39-year-old man with a prolonged history of hoarseness. Attention is drawn to the necessity of doing hypopharyngo-and laryngoscopy in such cases. One tumour was found in the left vallecula in the hypopharynx and the other on the left vocal cord. The literature and the histological findings in 53 cases are reviewed. It appears that this rare tumour is most frequently found in muscles derived from the pharyngeal arches. A total of 40 cases have been diagnosed during the last decade, and this increase is likely to continue in the future. It may turn out that extra-cardiac rhabdomyoma is not so rare as was first presumed.