Chromoendoscopy associated with endoscopic laryngeal surgery: a new technique for treating recurrent respiratory papillomatosis

Chromoendoscopy is a dye enhancement technique that uses epithelial tissue dyeing for assessing any changes in it by determining its characteristics and eventually to improving mucosal lesions detection at endoscopy. Currently with the addition of a joint use of rigid endoscopes and video systems at surgery, visualization of the larynx and trachea areas significantly improved with wide angle viewing. However, in certain diseases, such as laryngeal papillomatosis, certain conditions were overlooked by these approaches and with the likelihood of postoperative early relapse. With the addition of chromoendoscopy to endoscopic laryngeal surgery, we were able to increase the ability to recognize intraoperatively inconspicuous lesions, improve lesion limit visualization, observe in detail their surfaces, and determine as well the existence of residual lesion if any after surgical removal.

To prove the helpfulness of chromoendoscopy in otolaryngology as an innovative diagnostic technique associated with laryngeal endoscopical surgery.

The present study uses contrast dyeing agents such as indigo carmine as endoscopic tissue staining and, incidentally, which is the most widely used detection method in gastroenterology. The dye fills the interstices, highlighting irregularities, such as depressions and elevations in architecture.

This diagnostic enhancing technique was used with six patients who presented recurrent laryngeal papillomatosis. We committed ourselves to get the most out of the intraoperative diagnostic yield and reduce the relapse likelihoods in all cases.

Chromoendoscopy joined with endoscopic laryngeal surgery is an excellent intraoperative diagnostic approach in the management of laryngeal invasive conditions such as laryngeal papillomatosis.