Malignant minor salivary gland carcinomas of the larynx.

Aims: To explore the clinical characteristics and treatment of malignant minor salivary gland carcinomas of the larynx.

Methods: Clinical patient information regarding presentation, pathology, treatment and outcome was obtained through a review of patient charts.

Results: Malignant minor salivary carcinomas in the larynx were confirmed pathologically in 15 patients (11 males, 4 females) between 2003 and 2010 in our hospital; 6 patients had mucoepidermoid carcinoma (MEC; 40%), 6 had adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC; 40%) and 3 had adenocarcinoma (20%). The most common tumour location was the subglottis (60%), followed by the supraglottis (33%). In total, 13 patients underwent surgery, of which 10 (77%) had positive/insufficient resection margins. The mean follow-up time was 42.3 months, with a range of 8-129 months. The 3- and 5-year overall survival rates were 46.7 and 20%, respectively.

Conclusion: Malignant minor salivary gland carcinoma of the larynx is a rare disease that showed male predominance in our study. The carcinomas were most often localised in the subglottic region, and the most common histological types were ACC and MEC. Wide-margin surgery with postoperative radiotherapy is advocated. The overall prognosis is poor compared to squamous cell carcinomas of the same location and tumour stage.