title: Synovial sarcoma of the hypopharynx in a pediatric patient: Case report.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Synovial sarcoma (SS) is uncommon high grade soft tissue sarcoma, accounting for less than 10% of all head and neck sarcomas. Also, about 10% of SS occur within the Head & Neck. In the pediatric population, SS is an extremely rare head & neck malignancy.
  
  
  METHODS
  We present a case of sixteen years old boy diagnosed with SS situated of the hypopharynx treated by surgical excision and post operative radio-chemotherapy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This anatomical location brings additional functional challenges (swallowing, phonation, respiration), especially in the pediatric population. Pre-operative and even post-operative histopathological diagnosis of SS remains difficult. Optimal treatment of Head & Neck SS has to balance functional and oncologic aspects.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  SS is an extremely rare head & neck malignancy in pediatric population. It has multifaceted challenges including pre and post-operative histopathological diagnosis and optimal modality of treatment. Clinical judgment, especially in the pediatric population, needs to balance tumor free margins and organ preservation in head and neck region.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology - Head & Neck Surgery, Geneva University Hospital, 4, rue Gabrielle Perret-Gentil, 1204 Geneva, Switzerland. Electronic address: nlot@hcuge.ch.
authors.forename: N H
authors.initials: NH
authors.lastname: Alotaibi
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Pathology, Geneva University Hospital, 4, rue Gabrielle Perret-Gentil, 1204 Geneva, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Aurélie
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bornand
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology - Head & Neck Surgery, Geneva University Hospital, 4, rue Gabrielle Perret-Gentil, 1204 Geneva, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Nicolas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Dulguerov
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Geneva University Hospital, 4, rue Gabrielle Perret-Gentil, 1204 Geneva, Switzerland.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Becker
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology - Head & Neck Surgery, Geneva University Hospital, 4, rue Gabrielle Perret-Gentil, 1204 Geneva, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Pavel
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Dulguerov
keywords: Case report; Head & neck; Pediatric; Synovial sarcoma