The radiologic diagnosis of malignant tumors of the larynx

A variety of radiologic examinations are used to assess malignant tumors of the larynx. The primary role of radiographic examination is the pretreatment classification of laryngeal cancer, necessary to select the appropriate modality of treatment. The major radiologic modalities comprise conventional lateral radiography, anterior-posterior tomography, laryngography, xeroradiography, and high KV selective filtration radiography. Advanced radiologic modalities such as CT scanning and transverse B-mode gray scale ultrasound may also prove useful. It is the purpose of this presentation to define the role of these modalities in pretreatment definition of laryngeal cancer. Additionally, some comment is made as to the role of radiology in the diagnosis of post-radiation therapy recurrence of laryngeal cancer.