Warthin's tumor of the larynx: A very rare case and systematic review of the literature

Abstract

Background: Warthin's tumor or cystadenolymphoma (CAL) is a benign salivary gland tumor occurring almost exclusively in the parotid gland. CALs of other locations are rare. Case presentation: We report a laryngeal CAL detected in a positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) performed for breast cancer follow-up. The tumor was successfully treated by transoral surgery. Discussion: Only 14 cases of laryngeal CAL are reported worldwide. These cases confirmed our experience of an uncomplicated and mostly successful transoral resection. Conclusion: CALs of the larynx are very rare. They are characterized by hypermetabolism in PET/CT. The increasing use of PET/CT investigations in cancer patients could give rise to more incidental findings of CALs at unusual locations such as the larynx.