Small cell neuroendocrine carcinoma of subglottis: a case report

Abstract

Small cell carcinoma is an uncommon type of malignant epithelial neuroendocrine neoplasm. It is most commonly of pulmonary origin and only less than five percent of all tumours are extrapulmonary. Esophagus, stomach, colon and rectum, gall bladder, head and neck, urinary bladder, prostate, skin and cervix are the most common extrapulmonary sites. Small cell carcinoma of larynx accounts for less than one percent of all laryngeal neoplasms. It is a highly aggressive neoplasm with poor prognosis. It most commonly affects supraglottis in males who are heavy smokers in their sixth and seventh decades. Various paraneoplastic syndromes can also be associated with the neoplasm. More than 90% of small cell laryngeal neoplasms present with metastatic disease. Surgery is not considered the initial treatment of choice; concurrent chemo radiotherapy is proven to provide longer survival. We report the rare case of extrapulmonary small cell neuroendocrine tumour in subglottis in a non-smoker female patient.