Inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor of the epiglottis excised with a carbon dioxide laser: Case report and literature review

Abstract

Inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor (IMT) is a benign neoplasm of intermediate biologic potential. It rarely occurs in the larynx, and it has not been previously reported in the epiglottis. We treated a 66-year-old woman who presented with progressive dysphonia and a mass on her suprahyoid epiglottis. The tumor was completely excised with a CO2 laser; no adjuvant therapy was administered. Histopathology revealed that the mass was an IMT. No evidence of recurrence was noted after 6 months of follow-up. We present what we believe is the first case of an epiglottic IMT to be reported in the literature, and we propose CO2 laser excision without adjuvant therapy as an acceptable treatment.