Inflammatory myofibroblastic tumour (IMT) is a benign pseudoneoplastic proliferation, mainly developing in the lung and extremely rare in the larynx. A patient with a two-month history of dysphonia and a polypoid left true vocal fold tumour is presented. Histological and clinical knowledge of this lesion is important to exclude a misdiagnosis (e.g. malignant epithelial or mesenchymal tumours) and an inappropriate treatment.

Plasma cell polyps of the vocal fold (plasma cell granulomas) are rare inflammatory polyps of the larynx. They should be included in the clinical and histological differential diagnosis of laryngeal polyps. Histologically they are polyclonal aggregates of plasma cells. It is essential to distinguish them from monoclonal, neoplastic plasma cell proliferations. The treatment of choice is surgical resection, although radiotherapy, laser ablation, antibiotics and steroids have been used successfully. We present a case of plasma cell granuloma presenting as a vocal fold polyp, treated surgically.

A polypoid inflammatory pseudotumour was diagnosed in the trachea of an eight-year-old child who presented with asthmatic symptoms. The tumour showed 80 per cent blockage of the lower trachea and consisted of proliferating spindly fibroblastic cells admixed with a variable number of inflammatory cells. The literature on childhood inflammatory pseudotumours is reviewed together with the differential diagnosis of other polypoid mesenchymal tumours of the trachea.

Inflammatory pseudotumours or plasma cell granulomas are space-occupying, rounded masses appearing in various locations usually as an aftermath of recurrent infections.

Recurrent pain and mass have been the most common presentations (Durst et al., 1977). These have been confused with tumours but radical surgical treatment is unnecessary, in the absence of life-threatening complications. The prognosis is excellent after excision. The nature and pathogenesis of the inflammatory pseudotumours, their presentation as fever and anaemia in some cases, are unknown.

This report is probably the first case of a plasma cell granuloma involving the maxillary sinus causing focal erosion of the orbital wall, simulating a malignant tumour clinically.