Summary
A 55-year-old man presented with a metastasizing moderately differentiated neuroendocrine carcinoma of the larynx (atypical carcinoid). Immunocytochemical demonstration of neuroendocrine markers (neuron-specific enolase and chromogranin-A) and presence of membrane-bound neurosecretory granules in the cells established the neuroendocrine nature of the tumour. In addition, the tumour was found to produce calcitonin, somatostatin and carcino-embryonic antigen (CEA). Calcitonin and somatostatin were also secreted. On the basis of this particular marker constellation the tumour closely resembles medullary thyroid carcinoma. Review of the recent literature on carcinoids of the larynx reveals immunoreactivity for calcitonin and CEA in a high percentage of cases.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Blok PHHM, Manni JJ, Van Den Broek P, van Haelst UJGM, Slooff JL (1985) Carcinoid of the larynx: a report of three cases and a review of the literature. Laryngoscope 95:715–719
Gnepp DR, Ferlito A, Hyams V (1983) Primary anaplastic small cell (oat cell) carcinoma of the larynx. Cancer 51:1731–1745
Goldman NC, Hood I, Singleton GT (1969) Carcinoid of the larynx. Arch Otolaryngol 90:60–67
Googe PB, Ferry JU, Bhan AK, Dickersin GR, Pilch BZ, Goodman M (1988) A comparison of paraganglioma, carcinoid tumor, and small-cell carcinoma of the larynx. Arch Pathol Lab Med 112:809–815
Gould VE, Linnoila I, Memoli VA, Warren WH (1983) Neuroendocrine cells and neuroendocrine neoplasms of the lung. Pathol Annu 18:287–330
Gould VE, Lee I, Warren WH (1988) Immunohistochemical evaluation of neuroendocrine cells and neoplasms of the lung. Pathol Res Pract 183:200–213
Grupe Larsen L, Krag Jacobsen GK (1989) Carcinoid tumor of the larynx. A case report with a review of the literature. APMIS 97:748–753
Guesdon JL, Ternynck T, Avrameas S (1979) The use of avidin biotin interaction in immunoenzymatic techniques. J Histochem Cytochem 27:1131–1139
Johnson LA, Lavin PT, Moertel CG, Weiland LH, Dayal Y, Doos WG, Geller SA, Cooper HS, Masse SR, Engstrom PF (1986) Carcinoids: the prognostic effect of primary site histologic type variations. J Surg Oncol 33:81–83
Kyriakos M, Berlin BP, De Schrijver-Kecskemeti K (1978) Oat-cell carcinoma of the larynx. Arch Otolaryngol 104:168–176
Lloyd RV, Sisson JC, Maranjos PJ (1983) Calcitonin, carcinoembryonic antigen and neuron-specific enolase in medullary thyroid carcinoma. An immunohistochemical study. Cancer 51:2234–2239
Paladugu RR, Nathwani BN, Goodstein J, Dardi LE, Memoli VE, Gould VE (1982) Carcinoma of the larynx with mucosubstance production and neuroendocrine differentiation: an ultrastructural and immunohistochemical study. Cancer 49:343–349
Schröder S, Klöppel G (1987) Carcinoembryonic antigen and nonspecific cross-reacting antigen in thyroid cancer. An immunocytochemical study using polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies. Am J Surg Pathol 11:100–108
Schröder S, Böcker W, Baisch H, Bürk CG, Arps H, Meiners I, Kastendieck H, Heitz PU, Klöppel G (1988) Prognostic factors in medullary thyroid carcinomas. Survival in relation to age, sex, stage, histology, immunocytochemistry, and DNA content. Cancer 61:806–816
Sternberger LA, Hardy PH, Cuculis JJ, Meyer HG (1970) The unlabelled antibody enzyme method of immunohistochemistry. Preparation and properties of soluble antigen-antibody complex (horse-radish peroxidase anti-horse-radish peroxidase) and its use in the identification of spirochetes. J Histochem Cytochem 18:315–333
Sweeney EC, McDonnell L, O'Brien C (1981) Medullary carcinoma of the thyroid presenting as tumours of the pharynx and larynx. Histopathology 5:263–275
Vrabec DP, Bartels LJ (1980) Small cell anaplastic carcinoma of the larynx: review of the literature and report of a case. Laryngoscope 90:1720–1726
Wenig BM, Hyams VJ, Heffner DK (1988) Moderately differentiated neuroendocrine carcinoma of the larynx. A clinicopathologic study of 54 cases. Cancer 62:2658–2676
Woodruff JM, Huvos AG, Erlandson RA, Shah JP, Gerold FP (1985) Neuroendocrine carcinomas of the larynx. A study of two types, one of which mimics thyroid medullary carcinoma. Am J Surg Pathol 9:771–790
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Smets, G., Warson, F., Dehou, M.F. et al. Metastasizing neuroendocrine carcinoma of the larynx with calcitonin and somatostatin secretion and CEA production, resembling medullary thyroid carcinoma. Vichows Archiv A Pathol Anat 416, 539–543 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01600306
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01600306