[Prevalence and certain characteristics of chronic hyperplastic laryngitis]

Screening for chronic hyperplastic laryngitis (CHL) has been performed among 70,000 workers and peasants of the Moscow Region. CHL was detected in 355 examinees (0.47%). The data were analysed for 166 CHL patients (age 31-50, 87 males, 29 females). 8 patients had laryngostenosis but tracheostoma was indicated only one of them. Malignant transformation occurred in 3 patients. Laryngeal lesions were symmetric in 36 patients, unilateral with separate inflammatory infiltrates clinically similar to tumors were seen in 45 patients. Local forms of CHL may look as separate small nodules, contact lesions in the region of vocal processes of the arytenoid cartilages, and diffuse inflammatory edema of the vocal cords. In rare cases inflammatory tumor-like laryngeal lesions in CHL depend on local flock of lymphoid elements--lymphoid hyperplasias. A cytological study in CHL is effective in identification of the signs of dystrophy, keratinization and epithelial cell atypia as well as the presence of microflora.