Cricohyoidopexy in selected infrahyoid epiglottic carcinomas presenting with pathological preepiglottic space...

Nineteen patients who presented with infrahyoid epiglottic squamous cell carcinoma with gross pathological preepiglottic space invasion, not amenable to a partial horizontal supraglottic laryngectomy, were offered a supracricoid partial laryngectomy with a cricohyoidopexy technique; this was an attempt to preserve physiological phonation, respiration, and deglutition while achieving the same local control rate as with a total laryngectomy. Preoperative chemotherapy and bilateral jugulocarotid lymph node dissection were performed in all cases. Patients were monitored for at least 5 years or until death. No patients were unavailable for follow-up. The 5-year actuarial survival (Kaplan-Meier method) was 84.2%. Local recurrence, nodal recurrence, and distant metastasis occurred once in our series, while six patients presented with a second primary tumor. We present, analyze, and compare functional results with those of the previously reported series. Our experience with the supracricoid partial laryngectomy with a cricohyoidopexy, in the face of selected infrahyoid epiglottic squamous cell carcinoma invading the preepiglottic space, not amenable to a partial horizontal supraglottic laryngectomy, suggested that a total laryngectomy might be avoided without decreasing the cure rate.