title: Glottic-Subglottic adenoid cystic carcinoma. A case report and review of the literature.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Malignant tumours of minor salivary glands are uncommon, representing only 2-4% of all head and neck cancers. In the larynx, minor salivary gland tumours rarely occur and constitute less than 1% of laryngeal neoplasm. Most of the minor salivary gland tumours arise in the subglottis; however, they can also occur in the supraglottis, in the false vocal cords, aryepiglottic folds and caudal portion of the epiglottis. The most common type of malignant minor salivary gland tumour is adenoid cystic carcinoma.
  
  
  METHODS
  We present a unusual case of adenoid cystic carcinoma of glottic-subglottic region in a 61-year-old woman. Follow-up endoscopy and laryngeal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at three years after treatment showed no recurrence of the tumour.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The diagnosis of glottic-subglottic adenoid cystic carcinoma should be considered in patients who are characterized by dyspnea, cough and stridor, but do not respond to pharmacologic approach.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Adenoid cystic carcinoma is usually a very slow growing cancer, invested by an apparently normal laryngeal mucosa, so that it can show no clear symptoms for a long time. For these reasons the increasing number of diagnostic mistakes or late diagnosis that may be fatal in some cases.
authors.forename: Domenico
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Testa
authors.forename: Germano
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Guerra
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Conzo
authors.forename: Michele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nunziata
authors.forename: Gioacchino
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: D'Errico
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Siano
authors.forename: Gennaro
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ilardi
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vitale
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Riccitiello
authors.forename: Gaetano
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Motta
mesh_terms: D003528:Carcinoma, Adenoid Cystic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D005931:Glottis; D006801:Humans; D007822:Laryngeal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery; D008875:Middle Aged