Regression of laryngeal dysplasia after serial microflap excision

There is no consensus on the ideal management of premalignant lesions of the larynx. Published reports describe the use of mucosal stripping, microsurgical techniques, CO2 laser excision and ablation, and even conservation laryngeal surgery and radiotherapy. We performed a retrospective evaluation of 43 men and 11 women who underwent serial excision of dysplastic lesions with the microflap technique between 1990 and 2001. The average age of the patients was 57.2 years; 64% had a history of cigarette smoking, and 46% a history of alcohol consumption. The lesions were located on the middle part of the left vocal fold in 65% and on the mid-portion of the right vocal fold in 66%. The patients were followed for an average of 4.4 years. Of the 20 patients with severe dysplasia or carcinoma in situ treated with the microflap technique, only 1 progressed to invasive disease. Overall, there was a reduction in the severity of dysplasia after each procedure (p = .0008). The microflap technique reliably reduced the severity of dysplastic lesions of the vocal fold and was effective in local disease control.