Contact ulcers of the larynx. A reacquaintance with the pathology of an often underdiagnosed entity.

We reviewed the histologic features of 105 cases of contact ulcers of the larynx. Despite its characteristic clinical findings and correlative histopathology, the appropriate diagnosis was suggested in only one case. Instead, a descriptive diagnosis was most often rendered. Lesions for which this entity has been mistaken include pyogenic granuloma, hemangioma, hemangiopericytoma, Kaposi's sarcoma, angiosarcoma, spindle cell carcinoma, and granulomatous infectious diseases. Inappropriate diagnosis or failure to recognize the pathologic features of these lesions as correlating to a specific disease state deprives the patient of curative, well-established therapeutic procedures. We describe the histologic spectrum of contact ulcer of the larynx as well as its clinical findings, thereby familiarizing pathologists to an entity well recognized by otolaryngologists.