Perineural invasion of the major and minor nerves in laryngeal and hypopharyngeal cancer.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the perineural invasion in patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx and hypopharynx. STUDY DESIGN: A prospective study of patients with laryngeal and hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma who underwent total or partial laryngectomy. METHODS: Patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx and pyriform sinus who underwent laryngectomy between 2002 and 2006 in the ENT Clinic of Cluj-Napoca were investigated for histopathological identification of perineural invasion. RESULTS: The present study included 256 patients. Perineural invasion was present in 86 cases out of the 256. Perineural invasion was detected in the major nerves of only one case out of 219 patients who had undergone total laryngectomy. The difference between the mean disease-free survival of patients with or without perineural invasion of the minor nerves was statistically significant (Mann-Whitney U test, P = 0.000102). The local recurrence rates in the cases with or without perineural invasion were significantly different (log-rank test, P = 0.00001). CONCLUSION: Major nerves do not constitute a way of spreading in the squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx and hypopharynx, whereas minor nerves remain a potential one.

Small and large middle meatus antrostomies in the treatment of chronic maxillary sinusitis.

OBJECTIVE: The study goal was to compare the postoperative endoscopic appearance of the middle meatus antrostomy with symptomatic relief in patients undergoing endoscopic endonasal sinus surgery for chronic maxillary sinusitis. STUDY DESIGN: We conducted a prospective randomized study encompassing 133 patients with chronic rhinogenic maxillary sinusitis who underwent endoscopic ethmoid surgery and middle meatal antrostomies. One of the tasks was to compare small-sized (less than 6 mm) antrostomies with large-sized (more than 16 mm) antrostomies in relieving the symptoms of chronic maxillary sinusitis. During follow-up an attempt was made to correlate endoscopic findings with symptomatic failure. RESULTS: We could not demonstrate a statistically significant correlation between the degree of improvement of the main sinusitis symptoms (obstruction, headache, and nasal discharge) and the postoperative size of the antrostomy. Nevertheless, persistent accessory maxillary ostia, scarring within the ethmoid were statistically significant predictors of poor surgical outcome. CONCLUSION: We conclude from this study that the size of the middle meatal antrostomy has no influence on the outcome of endonasal surgery for chronic rhinogenic maxillary sinusitis.