Carcinoid of the larynx: a report of three cases and a review of the literature.

Carcinoid tumors are among the exceptional neoplasms of the larynx. The laryngeal carcinoid was first described in 1969 by Goldman, et al. Only 16 cases could be traced from the literature. This paper describes three additional cases. In one patient, the tumor infiltrated the laryngeal tissues and metastasized to the cervical lymph nodes breast. In the second case, the polypoid lesion could be excised completely. The third case was initially diagnosed as undifferentiated squamous cell carcinoma. The diagnosis of carcinoid was made a few years later when a metastasis was removed. The presence of intracellular membrane bound neurosecretory granules and positive argyrophilia in the Grimelius stain are characteristic. In half of the cases described in the literature, the tumor was initially misdiagnosed as undifferentiated carcinoma. The treatment of choice is surgical removal which may be curative. The literature is reviewed.