Effectiveness of transoral laser microsurgery for precancerous lesions and early glottic cancer guided by analysis of voice quality.

Background: The purpose of this study was to show our comparison of the quality of voice obtained after superficial transoral endoscopic cordectomies (types I, II, and III) according to the European Laryngological Society classification versus the more extended cordectomy (types IV and V) among patients with glottic precancerous lesions or early glottic cancer.

Methods: Sixty-two patients underwent vocal assessment after cordectomy (types I-V) for dysplasia, Tis, T1a, T1b, and T2 lesions.

Results: Cordectomy (types I-III) had good vocal outcomes.

Septal graft in laryngeal reconstruction.

A 62-year-old woman presented with symptoms of dyspnea. Ultrasonography and computed tomography examinations revealed mass extending from the cricoid cartilage to the left lobe of thyroid gland and thyroid cartilage. Cytology revealed possibility of cartilaginous origin, which was proven to be chondrosarcoma Grade 1 from the biopsy specimen obtained during panendoscopy.

Predictors of local failure in early laryngeal cancer.

The aim of the study was to assess the impact of factors that could predict the probability of local failure in early laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma treated with curative radiotherapy. Sixty seven patients (12 women and 55 men) with laryngeal cancer stage I (47 patients) and stage II (20 patients) were treated from 1998 to 2003 with curative radiotherapy and retrospectively evaluated. Median follow-up was 36 months (3-80).

[Biodegradation of silicone in voice prosthesis].

The most important problem of the useful life of vocal prostheses is bacterial and especially mycotic colonization of their surface which impaired tightness of the closing valve of the prosthesis and caused subsequent leakage of fluids and food into the airways. The objective of the present study was to prevent colonization of the silicone surface and to prolong the service life of the prosthesis. The implanted prostheses were examined under microscope after varying intervals in vivo.

[Malignant mucosal melanoma of the head and neck].

Mucosal melanoma comparison to cutaneous melanoma of the head and neck are rare and do poorly. Approximately 0.5-2% of all melanomas occur from the mucous membranes of aerodigestive tract.