Dysphonia in geriatric cases always needs fiberoptic laryngoscopy/bronchoscopy: Spindle cell carcinoma of larynx, a rare entity

Spindle cell (sarcomatoid) carcinoma is a rare variant of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). It compromises of 2–3% of laryngeal cancers. Tumor arises from the oral cavity, tonsil larynx, and pharynx. Tumor is majority times misdiagnosed as reactive lesions or mesenchymal malignancies. It is considered to be a biphasic tumor that is composed of an SCC (in situ or invasive) and spindle cell carcinoma (SpCC) with sarcomatous appearance. In this case report, 61-year-male with minimal throat pain and acute onset dysphonia misdiagnosed and treated as a case of bronchial asthma with gastroesophageal reflux confirmed to have exophytic laryngeal growth is the cause for clinical presentation. We performed fiberoptic laryngoscopy and diagnosed to have SpCC of larynx. High index of suspicion is a must in geriatric cases with documented history of smoking and fiberoptic laryngoscopy/bronchoscopy found to be crucial in the evaluation. Histopathology expertise in surgical oncology is essential while planning treatment.