PMC3469077_01
(a) At the top there is an image obtained by indirect laryngoscopy (IL) revealing severe edema of the posterior commissure and a polypoid mass on the right posterolateral subglottic wall (arrow). At the bottom there is an axial image of computer tomography (CT) at the cricoid cartilage level that shows a homogenous image with contrast enhancement at the subglottic submucosal region (arrow). (b) At the top there is an image obtained by IL 6 months after the treatment was finished. It shows absence of the subglottic mass. At the bottom there is an axial CT image at the cricoid cartilage level that reveals 100% free subglottic airway.
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fig1
The indirect laryngoscopy (IL) revealed severe edema in the posterior commissure of the larynx and a polypoid mass in the right posterior lateral subglottic wall (Figure 1(a)). It was occluding 60% of the of the subglottic airway (Figure 1(a)). Moreover, in subsequent IL no subglottic mass at 6 months and one year after treatment was found with mobile vocal cords and an adequate glottic closure (Figure 1(b)).
(a) Microscopic image of the submucosal subglottic portion of the mass after staining with hematoxylin and eosin. It shows intense basophilic plasma cells. (b) Microscopic image showing a positive CD138 marker at the immunohistochemical study.
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fig2
The microscopic study revealed intense basophilic plasma cells which invade the submucosal tissue and with CD138-positive immunohistochemistry, that is characteristic of EPM (Figures 2(a) and 2(b)).