Abstract
Primary small cell carcinoma is an aggressive neoplasm commonly arising in the lung and its incidence in the larynx is extremely rare. This report describes a case of primary small cell carcinoma originated at the epiglottis accompanied by bilateral cervical lymph node metastasis in a 56-year-old female. Chemotherapy and 50Gy of radiotherapy were initially introduced according to a conventional protocol of treatment for this tumor, which resulted in an insufficient response. Thus, she underwent horizontal laryngectomy together with bilateral modified radical neck dissection, followed by postoperative radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Her clinical course has been uneventful for 11 months postoperatively. The majority of previous reports stated that patients with small cell carcinoma of the larynx should be treated with combination chemotherapy and radiotherapy. However, surgery could be the preferred treatment if the tumor is locally restricted.
