Laser surgery for epithelial hyperplasia of the vocal fold

A total of 88 patients with epithelial hyperplasia of the vocal fold were treated with endolaryngeal microscopic carbon dioxide laser surgery during the period from 1978 to 1990. The majority of the patients were male smokers. During the follow-up period ranging from 12 to 156 months, 15 patients developed recurrence(s). The recurrent lesion was benign epithelial hyperplasia in 8 patients and invasive carcinoma in 7 patients. The recurrences occurred only in preoperative smokers. Discontinuation of smoking following laser surgery did not affect the incidence of recurrence. The incidence of development of carcinoma did not differ between two histologic types: simple hyperplasia without cellular atypia and dysplasia associated with cellular atypia. The incidence of cancer development for dysplasia cases in the present series (6%) was lower than that in previous reports in which the carbon dioxide laser was not employed for the treatment. Postoperative improvement of vocal function was manifested in an increase of the maximum phonation time, a decrease of the mean airflow rate, and an increase in vibratory amplitude and mucosal wave.