Diagnosis and assessment of non-Hodgkin's malignant lymphomas of the larynx.

The present paper reports the clinicopathologic features of six cases of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma of the larynx observed during the last 14 years. After careful clinical staging only 3 patients had isolated laryngeal lymphoma (stage IE). Radiotherapy was administered as initial treatment in all cases. These patients are alive and well after 12, 6 and 1 years, respectively. Histologically, all laryngeal lymphomas of this study showed a diffuse pattern of growth. All lymphomas were of follicular center cell origin according to Lukes and Collins (29). Four cases were of low grade malignancy according to Lennert and Mohri (25), or grade I, according to the British (18) classification. The remaining two were of high grade malignancy or grade II. A careful histopathological diagnosis, which may separate other pathological conditions, and an appropriate staging, which may exclude dissemination of disease, are stressed as representing the basis for effective treatment. The applicability of current functional nomenclature is possible also in these extranodal lymphomas.