Vocal fold composition and early glottic carcinoma infiltration

Area of Science:

• Otolaryngology
• Oncology
• Surgical Pathology

Background:

• Current imaging lacks detail on laryngeal carcinoma invasion into vocal fold layers.
• Accurate characterization of tumor infiltration is crucial for effective treatment planning.

Purpose of the Study:

• To quantify the infiltration depth of laryngeal carcinomas within the vocal fold tissue layers.
• To establish a reference for surgical decision-making in laryngeal cancer cases.

Main Methods:

• Excised larynges from 30 male patients with T1/T2 or subglottal carcinomas were analyzed.
• Vocal fold tissue layers (mucosa, submucosa, muscularis) were measured in normal and tumor-infiltrated regions.
• Tissue preservation methods included freezing and paraffin embedding.

Main Results:

• Normal vocal fold layer depths established as benchmarks.
• T1 tumors infiltrated to an average depth of 1.32-1.62 mm, occupying ~25% of vocal fold depth.
• T2 tumors infiltrated to an average depth of 2.58-2.87 mm, occupying ~49% of vocal fold depth.

Conclusions:

• Provides essential baseline data on laryngeal carcinoma infiltration depths.
• Aids surgeons in assessing tumor extent for precise surgical procedure selection.
• Enhances patient-specific treatment planning for laryngeal cancer.