Laryngeal myxoma

Abstract

Myxoma is a rare benign tumor, and occurs most commonly in the mandible and maxilla in the head and neck region. Myxoma of the larynx is extremely rare and is frequently misdiagnosed as a vocal polyp. We present the first female case of myxoma on a vocal cord and review the literature on this subject. The patient was 74 years old. She had undergone laryngomicrosurgery for a vocal cord polyp 20 years previously, but did not know the histological diagnosis. We performed laryngomicrosurgery for bilateral edematous vocal cords. Microscopic laryngoscopy demonstrated a mass in the submucosal space of the right vocal cord. The pathologic diagnosis of the mass was myxoma. Myxoma is a connective tissue tumor composed of multinucleate stellate cells suspended in an edematous, mucopolysaccharide-rich stroma. Since myxomas may infiltrate surrounding tissue, they have a high incidence of local recurrence. To prevent recurrence, myxoma should be surgically excised with surrounding normal tissue. Although no local recurrence has been detected, as myxoma is characterized by a slow growth rate, long-term follow-up is needed in this case.