A "boxer glove" contoured laryngeal amyloidosis

Abstract

Laryngeal amyloidosis is uncommon and poorly understood, with limited long-term studies. Although primary localized laryngeal amyloidosis is extremely rare, it frequently involves the ventricles and the false and true vocal cords. We present a 58-year-old woman with localized laryngeal amyloidosis who presented no symptoms. On indirect laryngoscopic examination, the mass involved both arytenoids only, and had a likeness to a "boxer glove." She was treated surgically by microlaryngoscopy under general anesthesia and the mass was excised using a carbon dioxide laser. We present this case and a review of literature.

Keywords: Amyloidosis; Larynx.

Fig. 1

(A) Fiberoptic laryngoscopy revealed two yellowish masses located on the apices of both arytenoid cartilages. (B) Two month follow-up fiberoptic laryngoscopy revealed a nearly clean state.

Fig. 2

(A) Subepithelial deposition of acellular, eosinophilic, and amorphous materials (H&E, ×200). (B) Amyloid was identified as Congo red-positive material with apple-green birefringence in polarized light. (C) Electron microscopy showed linear, non-branching, fibrillar amyloid materials.