2020 Volume 29 Issue 3 Pages 337-342
Carcinosarcoma is known as a malignant tumor consisting of a mixture of carcinoma and sarcoma; such tumors of the head and neck region are rare. Here, we report a case of carcinosarcoma arising in the hypopharynx. The patient was a 76-year-old man who had complained of dyspnea and was referred to our hospital. As a large mass with near total obstruction at the supraglottic level was observed by endoscopic examination, the patient underwent emergency tracheostomy, and then an endoscopic biopsy was performed. Histopathologic examination revealed poorly differentiated carcinoma, but did not lead to a definitive diagnosis. The patient underwent total laryngopharyngoesophagectomy, bilateral neck dissection, and reconstruction with free jejunum for radical treatment. The final histopathological examination showed carcinosarcoma which consisted of adenocarcinoma originating from the hypopharynx. Three months after surgery, follow-up CT identified multiple lung metastasis. In the treatment of hypopharyngeal carcinosarcoma, careful attention should be paid to airway management, and if possible, surgical resection should be considered as a first line therapy.
