Cartilage involvement in laryngeal carcinoma: correlation of CT and pathologic macrosection studies

Fifteen patients with laryngeal epidermoid carcinoma underwent CT of the larynx prior to surgery. Whole mount sections of the extirpated larynx cut in the horizontal plane were compared with the corresponding level of the preoperative CT sections. This study in particular was designed to evaluate the accuracy of diagnosing cartilage involvement by CT and to correlate CT findings with histologic involvement. Our results indicate that CT correlates well with anatomic location of gross cartilage involvement by the tumor; however, small macroscopic invasion of the laryngeal cartilages may be difficult to diagnose with CT. Microscopic involvement of the cartilages cannot be diagnosed with CT. Decisions regarding conservation surgery cannot be based on CT evaluation alone.