A case of subglottic cancer misdiagnosed as bronchial asthma

This case of subglottic cancer was originally diagnosed as bronchial asthma. A 67-year-old man was brought to a hospital because of extreme difficulty of breathing. He was examined by an internist and diagnosed as bronchial asthma. He was treated for asthma in the hospital for 10 days. Two months later he was referred to our hospital because of recurring symptoms. A fiberscopy and CT scan revealed a large tumor in the subglottic area. The tumor biopsy revealed squamous cell carcinoma. After an emergency tracheotomy, he underwent a total laryngectomy including total thyroidectomy and resections of the paratracheal and paraesophageal lymph nodes According to statistics, the occurrence of laryngeal cancer is around 1% of all cancers. Over 90% of laryngeal cancers, however, occur in the supraglottic or glottic area, and subglottic cancers are rare. In addition, the clinical features of subglottic cancer, which often starts as stridor or dyspnea without hoarseness, are quite different from other laryngeal cancers. Emergency physicians must exclude subglottic cancers when the obstruction of the upper repiratory tract is suspected.

気管支喘息

声門下型喉頭癌

呼吸困難

救急医療

本文データは山口大学医学会の許諾に基づきCiNiiから複製したものである