INTRODUCTION:
Myofibroblastic tumours of the larynx are a very rare finding with
approximately 40 cases published in the scientific literature (1). They
are benign neoplasms with a marked inflammatory character that affect
soft tissues, can become locally invasive, malignant or metastatic. In
most cases they are asymptomatic space-occupying lesions, which require
differential diagnosis with other laryngeal neoplasms. There are several
nomenclatures to define this entity, but we will use the term
inflammatory myofibroblastic tumour described by Umiker in 1954, as it
is the most commonly used name and was designated as the official
nomenclature by the World Health Organisation in 1994 (2). The term
inflammatory alludes to the benign nature of this neoplasm; however,
cases of advanced local invasion have been described due to the
inflammatory nature of the lesion itself and degeneration to more
aggressive histological types in the larynx. The most frequently
described locations of this tumour are the lungs, lymph nodes, spleen,
liver, mesentery and wall of the gastrointestinal tract (2).
They can also affect the breast, bones, nerves and central nervous
system (4) (5).
In the head and neck area they are infrequent, with described
involvement of parapharyngeal spaces, oropharyngeal, nasopharyngeal,
pterygopalatine fossa, infratemporal fossa, paranasal sinuses, orbit and
oral cavity (6)(7)(8)(5). In the larynx, they mainly affect the vocal
cords, with cases described at the supraglottic and subglottic levels
(1)(10).
The pathogenesis of this entity is related to reactive processes,
infections, autoimmune diseases, laryngeal trauma and other neoplasms,
with no clear aetiology described (11)(7). It affects mostly children
and young adults (4).
Most cases described at the laryngeal level are asymptomatic. They may
cause dysphonia, dyspnoea, pharyngolaryngeal foreign body sensation or
dysphagia, among others (13).