Head and Neck ImagingVerrucous carcinoma
low grade
squamous cell carcinoma head and neck, most commonly found in the
oral cavity and glottic larynx, but also occurring in the nasal fossa and at other body sites. It appears clinically as an accretion or papillary mass with a warty surface or filiform projections, and it may extend over a large area. It is often 'underdiagnosed' as a
benign hyperplasia. Repeated and deep
biopsy may be necessary to confirm the diagnosis. The prognosis is relatively favourable, and the preferred treatment
modality is surgery. Verrucous
carcinoma is not consistently responsive to irradiation, and may show an anaplastic transformation following such a treatment.
On CT and MR studies, verrucous carcinoma is difficult to differentiate from other types of squamous cell carcinoma, although an exophytic soft tissue mass originating from the true vocal cords, displaying an irregular surface and no or minimal submucosal extension, may suggest the diagnosis.
RH