2005 Volume 98 Issue 4 Pages 315-321
MALT lymphoma is a low-grade malignant lymphoma arising from mucosa associated lymphoid tissue.
Primary MALT lymphoma in the larynx is very rare. We encountered a case of laryngeal MALT lymphoma that occurred asynchronously in the parotid gland. The patient was a 68-year-old woman with complaints of abnormal sensation in the pharyngolarynx. Laryngeal endoscopy showed pale and swollen lesion covered with smooth mucosa in both arytenoid regions. Since cervical CT/MRI examinations demonstrated abnormal findings in the lesions, we performed laryngeal biopsy. Histopathological examination showed clear non-neoplastic cells with marked infiltration by lymphocytes. One year later, discomfort developed in the left parotid region. Partial excision of the left parotid gland and re-biopsy of the larynx were performed.
Pathological diagnosis of the parotid gland was MALT lymphoma because of the marked infiltration of centrocyte-like cell (CCL) in the marginal zone, and multiple lymphoepithelial lesions. Laryngeal histology was also diagnosed as MALT lymphoma due to appearance of CCL infiltration into the submucosal tissue.