Hypopharyngeal amyloidosis: A case report

Hypopharyngeal amyloidosis is rare. Management depends on etiology. We report a case of hypopharyngeal amyloidosis and review the characteristics of this exceptional pathology. A 60-year-old woman with a history of diabetes and chronic cervicalgia consulted for dysphagia and deteriorated general health status, which had been evolving for 2 months. Clinical examination found two ulcerations of the lateral edge of the tongue and right pyriform sinus salivary stasis. Panendoscopy found regular swelling of the posterior wall of the hypopharynx and cervical esophagus. The pyriform sinuses and larynx were normal. Cervical CT and MRI showed thickening of the posterior wall of the hypopharynx. Biopsy found amorphous acellular eosinophil interstitial deposits, shown to be amyloid on Congo red staining, leading to a diagnosis of amyloidosis. Etiological assessment pointed to myeloma. The patient was managed by chemotherapy associating melphalan and prednisone. Evolution at 12 months' follow-up was good. Localized amyloidosis is a rare lesion of the superior aerodigestive tract, predominating in the larynx. Hypopharyngeal involvement is exceptional. Diagnosis is histological. Management depends on etiology. Local treatment is exceptional other than in case of complication. Systemic forms with associated myeloma are of poor prognosis. (C) 2010 Published by Elsevier Masson SAS.