Postintubation laryngotracheal stenosis: assessing the success of surgery.

OBJECTIVE: This study evaluated the outcome in adult patients with laryngotracheal stenosis (LTS) and assessed the effect of procedures on their quality-of-life scores. METHODS: The study included 15 adult patients with LTS (11 males [73.3%], 4 females [26.7%]; mean age, 32 years [range, 10-52 years]) treated at the Department of Otolaryngology Head and Surgery Clinic, Izmir Atatürk Research Hospital, Turkey, from 1997 to 2008. Success of the surgery is evaluated by decanullation rate, Short form-36 (SF-36), and the Medical Research Council dyspnea scale. RESULTS: The etiology of the LTS was intubation related in 14 cases (93.3%) and idiopathic in 1 case. According to the Myers-Cotton classification, 2 (13%), 8 (54%), and 5 (33%) patients were at stages 2 to 4, respectively. Fourteen patients had a mean follow-up of 57 months (range, 24-256 months). The stenotic segment involved 1 to 3 cm (mean, 1.7 cm) of trachea, and 2 to 5 tracheal rings (mean, 3.1) were resected. Postoperative decannulation was achieved in 13 patients (86.6%). In the short form-36 questionnaire, all of the parameters except for "role-emotional" were found to be significant (P < 0.01). The Medical Research Council dyspnea scale assessment revealed a significant (P < 0.001) decrease postoperatively. CONCLUSIONS: Segmental resection with primary anastomosis is an effective method and can be used as the first option in selected cases of advanced stenosis.

[Stomal recurrence after total laryngectomy: clinical and patological analysis of risk factors]. / Total larenjektomi sonrasi stomal nüks: Risk faktörlerinin klinik ve patolojik analizi.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study is to evaluate risk factors for stomal recurrence and to state and emphasize the importance of these factors. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This study was carried out retrospectively on 119 patients (116 males, 3 females; mean age 56.8 years; range 31 to 86 years) with larynx cancer who underwent total laryngectomy. All patients were examined for T-stage and location of primary tumor, tracheotomy (preoperative or postoperative) opening time, modality of applied treatment, presence of pharyngeal stoma fistula and presence of cervical lymph node metastasis in the postoperative period. RESULTS: Five patients (4.2%) out of 119 had stomal recurrence. Development period of stomal recurrence after laryngectomy was found to be between six months and three years (mean: 16.6 months). CONCLUSION: The treatment of this fatal complication is very difficult, and it has a poor prognostic nature. As a result, presence of subglottic involvement and advanced tumors in our cases are considered as main risk factors.

The necessity of dissection of level IIb in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma: a clinical study.

OBJECTIVE: Head and neck squamous cell carcinomas readily metastasize to adjacent cervical lymph nodes. This is seen frequently in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC), and neck dissection may be performed in addition to excision of the primary lesion. The aim of this study was to define the frequency of level IIb metastasis to the lymph nodes in patients who underwent selective neck dissection because of LSCC. STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING: Cross-sectional study with planned data collection in a tertiary referral hospital. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Eighty-one patients diagnosed with LSCC were accepted into the study. One hundred forty-eight neck dissection specimens were examined histopathologically, and those with level IIb metastasis were identified. The frequency of level IIb metastasis was evaluated in accordance with the primary tumor site, clinical N stage, central tumor presence, and T stage. RESULTS: Forty-seven of 81 patients were clinically N-, and 34 patients were clinically N+. Level IIb metastasis was seen in 5 (6%) of 81 patients, representing 5 of 148 neck dissection specimens. Two of these 5 patients were clinically N+ (6%), and 3 were clinically N- (6%). The relationship between level IIb metastasis and clinical N stage was not statistically significant (P ≥ .05). Likewise, no statistically significant relationships between the other parameters and level IIb involvement were found. CONCLUSION: Level IIb nodal involvement is very rare in LSCC. Therefore, the area can generally be preserved in elective neck dissection to lessen morbidity and, specifically, to avoid damaging the function of the spinal accessory nerve.

New technique for the treatment of bilateral vocal cord paralysis: Vocal and ventricular fold lateralization using crossing sutures with thyroplasty technique.

CONCLUSION: All patients treated with this new lateralization technique had a good quality of life and no dyspnea at rest or upon exertion. We believe that this technique is an important addition to the many surgical techniques for the treatment of bilateral vocal cord paralysis (BVCP). OBJECTIVES: Most techniques used in the treatment of BVCP result in a prolapse of the laryngeal soft tissues into the endolarynx owing to Bernoulli's principle. We have developed a new lateralization technique to more effectively prevent this prolapse. METHODS: The lateralization was initially tested on six cadaver larynges before being performed in five clinical cases with BVCP, who suffered from dyspnea at rest. Average follow-up was 17.6 months. As in type 1 thyroplasty, a rectangular piece of cartilage was excised horizontally from the thyroid lamina and placed on the defect in the vertical plane. Then, the vocal and ventricular folds were lateralized with crossing sutures, particularly in the posterior region. RESULTS: Dyspnea was eliminated postoperatively. All patients were successfully decannulated. Postoperative voice quality was socially acceptable. Airways were improved postoperatively, as evaluated via fiberoptic laryngoscopy and CT. The mean preoperative and postoperative rima openings were 1.3 mm (range 0.5-2.6) and 6.4 mm (range 3.4-8.1), respectively.

Surgical treatment of the high jugular bulb by compressing sinus sigmoideus: two cases.

If the jugular bulb normally surrounded by a bony layer in jugular fossa is anatomically over the inferior surface of the bony annulus, in the middle ear or over the basal turn of cochlea, it is then named as high jugular bulb (HJB). It may be dehiscent or aberrant. It is reported to occur in 5% of the temporal bone specimens. In accordance with the literature jugular bulb compression, jugular vein ligation and embolization are suggested in such cases. In both of the presented cases, there was bleeding from jugular bulb during surgery and jugular bulb was compressed with bone wax and Surgicel, but sigmoid sinus has been compressed after failure to stop bleeding through jugular bulb compression. Venous MR angiographies showed no flow in postoperative controls. Although it is very rarely seen clinically, we present two HJB cases and different treatment perspectives accompanied by literature.