Carcinoma arising from pharyngeal diverticula.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

Pharyngeal diverticulum or Zenker's diverticulum carcinoma is a rare malignancy with a poor prognosis. Carcinoma arising in a recurrent pharyngeal diverticulum is even rarer, with only 1 such case reported in the English-language literature. We report 2 patients with pharyngeal diverticulum carcinoma exhibiting an unusual presentation and good long-term, disease-free survival with normal speech and swallowing.

METHODS:

A 70-year-old man with a carcinoma in a recurrent pharyngeal diverticulum excised 20 years previously and a 65-year-old man with a neck mass as the only presentation of pharyngeal diverticulum carcinoma.

RESULTS:

Our patients were treated with open resection, laryngeal preservation, and postoperative radiotherapy (PORT), resulting in long-term tumor control and disease-free survival of 5 and 15 years (longest reported), respectively.

CONCLUSION:

One-stage diverticulectomy with or without radiotherapy is the treatment of choice and can provide long-term control and survival.

• Authors: Afroze Shah Khan, Raghav C Dwivedi, Abbas Shah Khan, Khin Thway, Cyril Fisher, Peter H Rhys-Evans
• Journal: Head & neck (Head Neck) Vol. 33 Issue 1 Pg. 135-7 (Jan 2011) ISSN: 1097-0347 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 19862830 (Publication Type: Case Reports, Journal Article)
• Copyright: © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck, 2011.

Topics

• Aged
• Biopsy, Needle
• Carcinoma (pathology, radiotherapy, surgery)
• Carcinoma, Squamous Cell
• Diverticulum (pathology, surgery)
• Follow-Up Studies
• Head and Neck Neoplasms (pathology, radiotherapy, surgery)
• Humans
• Immunohistochemistry
• Male
• Neoplasm Staging
• Neoplasms, Squamous Cell (pathology, radiotherapy, surgery)
• Pharyngeal Diseases (pathology, surgery)
• Pharyngeal Neoplasms (pathology, radiotherapy, surgery)
• Pharyngectomy (methods)
• Precancerous Conditions (pathology)
• Radiotherapy, Adjuvant
• Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck
• Treatment Outcome