Isolated laryngeal amyloidosis.

INTRODUCTION

Amyloidosis comprises a heterogeneous group of disorders characterized by the deposition of amyloid protein in various organs of the body. The larynx is one of the rarer sites where amyloidosis occurs.

CASE REPORT

A 36-year-old man presented with a two-year history of hoarseness of voice. He had a positive history of smoking, but no history of long-term consumption of alcohol. Physical examination revealed a pinkish mass about 1.5× 1.5 cm in size on his left False Vocal Cord (FVC) extending to the left arytenoid, which resulted in asymmetry of the posterior larynx. He also had a chronic perforation of the right tympanic membrane with a conductive hearing loss consisting of a 50 dB gap in pure tune audiometry. The FVC mass was excised with a CO2 laser and on follow-up his voice got much better, but the hoarseness was not fully resolved.

CONCLUSION

Amyloidosis of the larynx is a rare, usually benign process but the area is the most common site for isolated amyloid deposits to occur in the head and neck.