Laryngeal NK/T-cell Lymphoma: A Report of a Rare Case with Unusual Location

Extranodal NK/T-cell lymphoma (ENKL) is a rare type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and involvement of the larynx is an even rarer entity.We present a case of 23-year-old woman presenting with several weeks of respiratory distress and hoarseness.Bronchoscopy showed severely stenosed glottis and subglottis with multiple 1-2 mm pink-colored nodules over the false vocal cords and vallecula.Histology revealed unremarkable squamous mucosa with underlying diffuse proliferation of atypical lymphoid cells in a necrotic background.The atypical lymphoid cells were positive for CD2, CD3, CD56, CD30, and EBER with high Ki-67 proliferative activity.The overall findings were consistent with extranodal NK/T cell lymphoma of the larynx.The diagnosis of ENKL can be challenging due to the non-specific clinical presentation and relatively unusual localization.In the setting of inflammation of mucosa, neoplastic NK/T cells may be masked by secondary reactive inflammatory cells or intense necrosis.Therefore, a diagnosis of ENKL is frequently dependent on a series of immunohistochemical and molecular studies.