OBJECTIVE: This study aims to determine the prevalence and pattern of thyroid gland involvement in advanced laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma and to identify factors associated with its development.
METHOD: Records of 118 patients who underwent laryngectomy with thyroidectomy for advanced laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma in a tertiary government hospital from January 2010 to August 2015 were reviewed. Demographic, clinical and histopathology data were obtained. The relationship of the laterality of primary tumor bulk and lobe involvement was analyzed using Fischer's exact test. The association between thyroid gland invasion and other factors was analyzed using logistic regression.
RESULTS: Thyroid gland involvement was found in 11% of the patients via direct spread in 92.3%. Single lobe involvement accounted for 61.5% of cases. There is a tendency for laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma to invade the thyroid lobe ipsilateral to the primary tumor bulk. Extralaryngeal spread, tracheostomal involvement, and tracheal extension were associated with thyroid gland involvement.
CONCLUSION: Thyroid gland involvement in advanced laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma is rare; hence, indications for performing thyroidectomy in relation to the presence of thyroid gland involvement should be established to avoid unnecessary surgeries.