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Int J Clin Exp Pathol 2(3),300-302;2009

Case Report
An Unusually Large Granular Cell Tumor of the Pharynx: A Case Report and Literature
Review

Xiaoxian Li, Robert B. Parke Jr., Jennifer R. Rushton, Anna Sienko and Qihui “Jim” Zhai

Department of Pathology, The Methodist Hospital, Houston, TX and Bobby R. Alford Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery
and Department of Pathology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX

Received 6 August 2008; Accepted 9 September 2008; Available online 1 October 2008

Abstract: We report a granular cell tumor of the pharynx in a 53 year-old woman who presented with a large retropharyngeal mass. Surgical
excision revealed a 5.5 cm tan rubbery unencapsulated but circumscribed mass. Histologically, the tumor is composed of diffusely arranged
oval and spindle cells with abundant eosinophilic granular cytoplasm and mildly pleomorphic nuclei without necrosis or mitoses.
Immunostains show the tumor cells to be positive for S-100, vimentin, non-specific esterase and focally positive for inhibin. In addition to its
unusual location, this tumor is extremely large while most granular cell tumors are small (<2 cm). This case represents a unique example of a
large granular cell tumor at a rare location: the pharynx. (IJCEP808001).

Key Words: Granular cell tumor, pharynx

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Address all correspondence to: Qihui “Jim” Zhai, MD, Department of Pathology, The Methodist Hospital, Houston, TX 77030. E-mail:
qzhai@tmhs.org