Relationship between CO2 laser-induced artifact and glottic cancer surgical margins at variable power doses.

Background: The carbon dioxide laser can induce thermal cytologic artifacts at the margin of early glottic squamous cell carcinoma histologic specimens, which makes assessment of the margin difficult. This study assesses and correlates the depth of laser-induced thermal artifact with laser power rating.

Methods: The surgical margins of 30 patients with early glottic squamous cell carcinomas who underwent laser resection were reanalyzed retrospectively.