BackgroundIt is crucial to find a balance between functional and oncological outcome when choosing an adequate method for the management of vocal fold leukoplakia. Therefore, a detailed examination is a milestone in the decision-making process.AimTo examine whether narrow-band imaging (NBI) can be helpful in vocal fold assessment in the case of leukoplakia and how to overcome the “umbrella effect”- understood as the submucosal vascular pattern hidden under the plaque.Material and methodsProspective cohort of 41 consecutive patients. Inclusion criteria: vocal fold leukoplakia, no previous procedures (surgery, radiotherapy), and preoperative endoscopy with an optical filter for NBI. Two groups: “suspicious” and “normal”, according to the submucosal microvascular pattern of peripheral regions of the mucosa surrounding the plaque, were distinguished. Patients were qualified for a full-thickness or partial-thickness biopsy, respectively. Criteria defining suspected characters were well-demarcated brownish areas with scattered brown spots corresponding to type IV, Va, Vb, and Vc NI classifications.ResultsIn 22/41 (53.7%) patients with “suspected” microvascular pattern, full-thickness biopsy was performed. Moderate and severe dysplasia was revealed in 15 type IV and 7 type Va NI patients. In 19/41 (46.3%) patients with proper NBI vessel pattern treated by partial-thickness biopsy, hyperkeratosis was diagnosed. There was a strong correlation between the NBI pattern and final histology: Chi2 (2) = 41.0 (p = 0.0000).ConclusionThe results demonstrate that NBI endoscopic assessment of the submucosal microvascular pattern of mucosa surrounding the plaque can be an effective method to categorise the risk in vocal fold leukoplakia prior to treatment.

Laryngeal cancer (LC) patients who meet the age and smoking criteria of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) for annual CT lung screening were analysed for pulmonary nodules (PN) detection and secondary lung cancer (SLC) diagnosis. This is a retrospective chart review of LC patients treated at Johns Hopkins Hospital from January 2010 to December 2017. The study population included patients who met USPSTF criteria by age and smoking history for annual chest screening and were followed for at least 3 consecutive years. A total of 998 LC patients' records were reviewed, of which 151 met the inclusion criteria. Inadequate follow-up period (37% of excluded cases) was the most common reason for exclusion, followed by not meeting USPSTF age criteria (27% excluded cases). In seventy-eight patients (n = 78, 52% of analysed patients) PN were reported. Nine individuals (6% of analysed patients) were diagnosed with SLC. Age over 70 (p = 0.003) was an independent predictor of malignancy. White race and smoking history over 40 pack-years were positively associated with a pulmonary nodule detection (p = 0.037 and p = 0.044, respectively). The incidence of PN and SLC in patients with LC is high. Many patients with laryngeal cancer meet the formal guidelines for USPSTF screening, and should be screened annually according to evidence-based medicine for the early detection of secondary lung cancers.Approximately 13,150 new cases of laryngeal cancer (LC) are diagnosed every year in the USA 1 . The most pronounced risk factors remain tobacco smoking and alcohol consumption 2 , and the 5 year overall survival has not changed significantly over the last 20 years and it is currently estimated at approximately 60% 1 . One of the significant reasons for the reduced overall survival is that the incidence of secondary primary lung cancer (SPLC) in patients affected by LC ranges from 5 to 19% 3-6 , which has a significant impact on outcome. The risk of pulmonary nodules is even higher and has been reported to be up to 58% 7 in head and neck cancer (HNC) patients.One of the national attempts to reduce the smoking-related mortality was the introduction of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommendations for annual lung cancer screening with low-dose CT in a group of high-risk smokers. This screening program has proven to prevent a significant number of lung cancer-related deaths in patients who received three CT scans over the course of two years. The USPSTF recommends annual chest imaging with low-dose CT for adults aged 55-80, with at least 30 pack-years smoking history in current smokers or those who have quit within the past 15 years 8 . However, one of the exclusion criterion of the large clinical trials 9 justifying implementation of screening program was previously known malignancy. Practically, this meant that HNC patients with substantial smoking history and obvious cancer predisposition were excluded.The aim of this study was therefore to assess the frequency of incidental findings on CT screening such as ...

The purpose of the study was to assess the role of laser-assisted posterior cordectomy in the management of patients with bilateral vocal cord paralysis. We aimed an analysis of 132 consecutive patients treated by CO2 laser posterior cordectomy, aged 38–91, 31% tracheotomized on admission. Cordectomy was performed under microlaryngoscopy using CO2 laser (Lumenis AcuPulse 40 CO2 laser, wavelength 10.6 μm, Lumenis Ltd., Yokneam, Israel). We looked at the number of laser glottic procedures necessary to achieve decannulation in tracheotomized patients and to achieve respiratory comfort in non-tracheotomized subjects and we evaluated the two groups for differences in patient characteristics. In tracheotomized patients, we also assessed factors affecting the success of decannulation and we evaluated the impact of tracheotomy on patients’ lives. Decannulation was performed in 63% of tracheotomized patients. In terms of the number of procedures, 54% (14), 19% (5), and 27% (7) tracheotomized vs. 74% (61), 24% (20), and 2% (2) non-tracheotomized subjects underwent one, two, or three procedures, respectively. In the group of tracheotomized patients who were successfully decannulated, the number of multiple laser-assisted procedures was significantly higher than in the group of non-tracheotomized subjects with respiratory comfort after treatment (p = 0.04). Advanced age (> 66 years), comorbidities (diabetes, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)), multiple thyroid surgeries, and tracheotomy below the cricoid cartilage were found to decrease the likelihood of successful decannulation. Posterior cordectomy is a simple method allowing for airway improvement and decannulation in patients with bilateral vocal cord paralysis. It is less effective in tracheotomized subjects with diabetes or GERD, older than 66 years old, after two or more thyroidectomies.

Background: Occult metastases are common in patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) which is why elective neck dissection, adjuvant radiotherapy or watchful waiting have been treatment options after surgical removal of the primary tumour. Sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB), has lately emerged as a novel possibility in treatment planning. Even though the SLNB technique is constantly improving, it has not yet been firmly established in the assessment of head and neck cancer. Objectives: To establish a reliable and clinically useful protocol for SLNB in staging/elective neck dissection in oral cancer. Methods: 14 consecutive patients with T1-T2 N0 oral cancer were enrolled when scheduled for elective neck dissection. Results: This study outlines various techniques improving SLNB in head and neck cancer. After evaluation, a combination of techniques was found to constitute a reliable, clinically adaptable work concept. The suggested procedure starts with the pre-surgical injection of radioactive technetium 99Tcm carried on tilmanocept (Lymphoseek®) at the tumour site. The radioactivity in the lymph node is then visualized preoperatively with Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT/CT). Intraoperatively, indocyanine green (ICG) is injected and a sentinel node is visualized with near infrared light. To support the sentinel node detection, the surgeon uses a hand held gamma detection probe. This approach results in a reproducible and reliable detection of sentinel nodes. Conclusion: This paper presents a novel protocol for identification of sentinel node in the head and neck region. The protocol additionally enables the use of flow cytometry analysis of resected lymph nodes.