SMALL CELL NEUROENDOCRINE CARCINOMA OF HYPOPHARYNX – JOURNEY TO DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT.

Vinota PANISELVAM ^{1, 2}, Elsie Jane ANASTASIUS ¹, Azliana AZIZ ².

¹Department of Otorhinolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia.

²Department of Otorhinolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, School of Medical Sciences, University Sains Malaysia, Kota Bharu, Kelantan, Malaysia.

ABSTRACT

Neuroendocrine tumours are rare and  aggressive heterogenous histologic group of tumours with a wide spectrum of differentiation. They are divided into 3 categories according to its grade, clinical behaviours and prognosis; well-differentiated or low-grade, moderately differentiated or intermediate-grade, and poorly differentiated or high-grade based on the 2017 World Health Organisation Classification for Head and Neck Tumours. They commonly originate at larynx, with only 4% arising from the hypopharynx. Experience regarding diagnosis and treatment of hypopharyngeal NEC cancer are scarce and are mostly consisted of case studies or small case series.5 Here, we report a rare case of hypopharyngeal small cell type NEC malignancy and discuss the clinical manifestation, pathway to diagnosis and treatment.

Keywords: Chemotherapy, Elderly, Hypopharynx, Neuroendocrine malignancy, Radiation therapy.

Corresponding Author: Dr Azliana Aziz, Department of Otorhinolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, School of Medical Sciences, University Sains Malaysia Health Campus, 16150, Kota Bharu, Kelantan, Malaysia

Telephone number: 609-7676420; E-mail: az_aziz@usm.my

Brunei Int Med J.2023;19:8-12