title: Malignancy of the larynx in a child.
abstract: Squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx in children is rare. The management of laryngeal malignancy is more difficult in children than adults for several reasons: the aggressive nature of a tumor that is often diagnosed late in children; the delicacy of pediatric anatomic structures; intraoperative blood loss; long-term post-treatment complications; and psychological factors particular to children. A tracheostomized 13-year-old boy came to us with a 4-month history of hoarseness, breathing difficulty, and swelling in the neck. A detailed examination revealed that a transglottic tumor had infiltrated the thyroid and cricoid cartilage, the upper two tracheal rings, and the thyroid gland. Such an infiltration has not been previously reported. The lesion proved to be a well-differentiated squamous cell carcinoma. We performed a wide-field total laryngectomy, which was followed by radiotherapy. Unfortunately, the child survived only 3 years postoperatively.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Kasturba Medical College, Nethravathi Bldg., 1st Floor, Balmatta, Mangalore 575 001, Karnataka, India. kishorecprasad@yahoo.com
authors.forename: K C
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Prasad
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Abraham
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Peter
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D007822:Laryngeal Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D007825:Laryngectomy / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male