MANY standard textbooks of diseases of the ear, nose, and throat make the statement that malignant melanomas occur in the larynx. However, in a rather thorough search of the pertinent literature in English covering both primary and metastatic tumors of the larynx we found only one case of melanoepithelioma, reported by Havens and Parkhill.1 We quote their findings in this particular case:
A man of 48 years came to the clinic complaining of a sense of irritation in the throat of one year's duration. There was a malignant-appearing, dark brown mass in the right hypopharynx, arising from the right arytenoid cartilage. Microscopic examination of tissue from the mass confirmed the clinical diagnosis of melanoepithelioma.
Because there was evidence of widespread metastasis, treatment was considered to be futile, and none was given. We have no information as to the subsequent course of events.
Melanoepithelioma (formerly classified by most pathologists as