Neuroendocrine Carcinoma of the Head and Neck – review of literature

Neuroendocrine carcinoma is a rare neoplasm, and its most common location in the head and neck area is the larynx, especially the epiglottis and the supraglottic region. The first case of neuroendocrine carcinoma of the larynx was reported in 1969 by Goldman et al. Expression of the two crucial markers, synaptophysin and chromogranin, along with neural cell adhesion molecule (CD56) should be mentioned among the neuroendocrine features detected on immunohistochemistry. Human papilloma virus (HPV16/18) infection in the laryngeal neuroendocrine carcinoma can be one of the causal factors, and the detection of HPV should be considered as a standard procedure for the diagnosis and treatment.