Benign tumors of the larynx: a clinical study of 50 cases

The study was undertaken to identify the common type of lesions, and the age, sex distribution, symptomatology, sites of involvement and prognosis of the same.

A two-year prospective study was conducted from January 2005 to December 2006.

The study was conducted at SMS Medical College, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India-a tertiary referral hospital.

A total of 50 patients with benign laryngeal lesions were included in the study based on symptoms such as hoarseness of voice, foreign body sensation, throat pain, neck mass and cough and with positive clinical findings on indirect laryngoscopy and neck examination. The patients were in the age group of 14-63 years. All nonoperative cases and malignant cases were excluded. Diagnostic hematological and radiological investigations and therapeutic microlarygoscopic procedures were employed.

A male preponderance with a male:female ratio of 2.5:1 was observed. Majority of the patients were in the age group of 21-30 years. Vocal cord polyps were observed to be the commonest type of lesions. In our study, hoarseness of voice, cough, foreign body sensation and throat pain were found to be the commonest symptoms. Out of the 50 patients in the study group, only 6% patients got complete relief with voice rest and vocal rehabilitation; 94% patients required surgery, which included microlarygoscopy and endolaryngeal surgery. There was no recurrence in cases of vocal polyps and nodules during the period of observation.

Microlaryngeal surgery and voice rest offer a cost-effective, useful and safe method for the management of benign laryngeal lesions. With the inclusion of lasers, they can be more precisely operated. As such, the standard treatment of choice in all types of benign tumors of the larynx should consist of a triad of approach by microlaryngeal surgery (either microscopic or endoscopic, with or without use of lasers), voice rest and vocal rehabilitation.