As narrow band imaging（NBI） technology and research for vocal fold leukoplakia have advanced, the diagnostic and therapeutic paradigms for this condition have evolved significantly. This paper provides insight into the challenges of clinical management of vocal fold leukoplakia, drawing on our empirical findings to clarify the etiology, differential diagnosis, pathological grading, morphological characteristics, and recent therapeutic developments of this condition.
Humans ; Vocal Cords/pathology* ; Leukoplakia/therapy*

Objective:To investigate the clinical value of electronic laryngoscope combined with narrow band imaging（NBI） endoscope and its classification in the diagnosis of vocal cord leukoplakia. Methods:A retrospective analysis was performed on 115 cases of patients treated in the Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital from September 2020 to November 2022. All 115 cases were diagnosed with vocal cord leukogramma using the electronic laryngoscopy and narrow band imaging endoscopy, followed by pathological examination in the outpatient tissue biopsy. The morphological characteristics of vocal cord leukoplakia and the correlation between narrow band imaging classification and pathological results were investigated. Results:Among 115 cases of vocal cord leukoplakia, 46 cases（40.00%） were diagnosed as benign lesions. Low grade intraepithelial neoplasia occurred in 29 cases（25.22%）. High-grade intraepithelial neoplasia（including carcinoma in situ） occurred in 22 cases（19.13%）. Invasive carcinoma（including suspected invasive carcinoma） was found in 18 cases（15.65%）. There were no statistical differences in the unilateral and bilateral distribution of vocal cord leukoplakia and pathological results（P>0.05）, but there were statistical differences in the size, thickness, lesion uniformity, clear boundary, pre-invasion commissure, symmetry,age over 55 years old, morphological classification, NBI classification and pathological results distribution（P<0.05）. The two-by-two comparison among the three groups of morphological classification（flat type, raised type, rough type） showed that P<0.017 was only compared between flat type and rough type, and P>0.017 was compared between the other two groups. The pairwise comparison among the three groups of NBI classification（Ⅲ, Ⅳ, Ⅴ） was statistically significant（P<0.017）. There was a high correlation between NBI classification and pathological diagnosis, and the correlation coefficient was 0.705（P<0.05）. The risk of high intraepithelial neoplasia and cancerization in type Ⅳ was 9.125 times higher than that in type Ⅲ, and the risk of high intraepithelial neoplasia and cancerization in type Ⅴ was 271.078 times higher than that in type Ⅲ. The area under the curve of morphological classification and NBI classification were 0.672 and 0.896, respectively. Conclusion:There is a high match and correlation between NBI classification and pathological diagnosis. Electronic laryngoscope combined with narrow band imaging endoscope has a high diagnostic value for vocal cord leukoplakia, and a strong predictive ability for malignant leukoplakia.
Humans ; Vocal Cords/pathology* ; Male ; Female ; Leukoplakia/diagnosis* ; Narrow Band Imaging/methods* ; Retrospective Studies ; Laryngoscopy/methods* ; Middle Aged ; Laryngeal Neoplasms/diagnosis* ; Aged ; Laryngoscopes ; Adult

Objective:To evaluate the impact of vocal fold nodules on the quality of life of children, and to compare the efficacy between conservative management（voice hygiene education, etc.） and laryngeal microsurgery. Methods:A retrospective study was performed on 102 children with vocal fold nodules, who received treatment in Children's Hospital of Fudan University during the period from January 2020 to December 2022. According to the regime, the patients were divided into conservative management group and surgical treatment group; Cases are divided into pre-school age group （2-5 years old） and school-age group （6-12 years old） based on age. The pediatric voice-related quality of life （pVRQOL） was used to evaluate the impact of vocal fold nodules on the quality of life of children and differences in efficacy between two treatment regimens. Results:The pVRQOL scores of vocal fold nodule grades 1, 2, and 3 were 91.58±8.17, 78.87±12.49, 72.50±12.08, respectively. There were statistical differences between grade 1 and grade 2, and between grade 2 and grade 3. There were statistical differences between grade 1 grade 2, grade 2 and grade 3 （P<0.001）, suggesting that the higher the rating of vocal cord nodules, the lower the pVRQOL score of patients was. The pVRQOL score of the school-age group was 69.83±11.11, which is lower than that of the preschool group（87.59±8.63）, and the difference was statistically significant （P=0.042）. Vocal fold nodules had a significant impact on the pVRQOL score of school-age children. In the conservative management group, the pVRQOL scores before and after treatment were 83.99±12.66 and 87.26±9.58, respectively, and there was significant difference between the two groups（P=0.046）. Indirect voice therapy such as voice hygiene education could improve children's pVRQOL scores and was more effective for school-age children（P<0.001）. The microsurgical treatment had a more significant improvement in the pVRQOL score of children. Conclusion:The higher the rating of vocal fold nodules, the greater the impact on the quality of life of patients. Vocal fold nodules had a greater impact on the quality of life of school-age children than that of preschool children. Voice hygiene education could improve the quality of life of children, which was more evident in the school-age group. Compared with voice hygiene therapy, laryngeal microsurgery had a more significant effect on improving the pVRQOL score of patients. It is recommended to undergo laryngeal microsurgery for the treatment of vocal fold nodules for the requirement of improving the quality of life related to voice. During the 6-month follow-up period after surgery in this study, the short-term efficacy of laryngeal microsurgery in treating vocal cord nodules in children is clear, but the long-term efficacy needs further research.
Child ; Humans ; Child, Preschool ; Vocal Cords/pathology* ; Quality of Life ; Retrospective Studies ; Voice Quality ; Laryngeal Diseases/surgery* ; Polyps/pathology*

Objective:To explore the clinical manifestations,the type of pathology, treatment and prognosis of laryngeal rhabdomyosarcoma, and to enhance the understanding of the clinical characteristics of the disease, while improving the diagnosis rateand reducing the misdiagnosis rate, in order to explore effective diagnosis and treatment methods. Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of 5 cases of laryngeal rhabdomyosarcoma treated in the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from May 2015 to May 2021. Results:All 5 cases of laryngeal rhabdomyosarcoma were misdiagnosed in the early stage. with tumors mostly occurring in the vocal cords and appearing as smooth mass. The clinical symptoms were mostly hoarseness. According to pathological classification, three cases were embryonic type, one case was polymorphic type, and one case was spindle type.Three patients died due to tumor recurrence, one patient had multiple systemic metastases, and another patient who underwent surgical resection in the early stage and supplemented with postoperative radiotherapy and chemotherapyhas been followed up to date without recurrence. Conclusion:Laryngeal rhabdomyosarcoma has low incidence rate, high malignancy degree and poor prognosis. It is easy to be misdiagnosed as a benign mass. Extensive surgical resection combined with radiotherapy and chemotherapy should be performed as soon as possible after diagnosis.
Adult ; Humans ; Retrospective Studies ; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local/therapy* ; Larynx/pathology* ; Rhabdomyosarcoma/therapy* ; Vocal Cords/pathology*

Objective:To analyze the risk factors of recurrence and canceration for premalignant vocal fold lesions after surgery, and to provide a reasonable basis for preoperative evaluation and postoperative follow-up. Methods:This study retrospective analyzed the relationship between clinicopathological factors and clinical outcome（recurrence, canceration, recurrence-free survival, and canceration-free survival） in 148 patients undergoing surgical treatment in Chongqing General Hospital from 2014 to 2017. Results:The five-year overall recurrence rate was 14.86% and the overall recurrence rate was 8.78%. Univariate analysis showed that smoking index, laryngopharyngeal reflux and lesion range were significantly associated with recurrence（P<0.05）, and smoking index and lesion range were significantly associated with canceration（P<0.05）. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that smoking index ≥600 and laryngopharyngeal reflux were independent risk factors for recurrence（P<0.05）, and smoking index ≥600 and lesion range ≥1/2 vocal cord were independent risk factors for canceration（P<0.05）. The mean carcinogenesis interval for the postoperative smoking cessation group was significantly longer（P<0.05）. Conclusion:Excessive smoking, laryngopharyngeal reflux and a wide range of lesions may be related to postoperative recurrence or malignant progression of precancerous lesions in the vocal cord, and further large-scale multi-center prospective randomized controlled studies are needed to clarify the effects of the above factors on recurrence and malignant changes in the future.
Humans ; Vocal Cords/pathology* ; Retrospective Studies ; Laryngopharyngeal Reflux/complications* ; Prospective Studies ; Precancerous Conditions/pathology* ; Risk Factors

OBJECTIVES: A saccular cyst is defined as a dilated saccule of the larynx, filled with mucus, and is located between the false vocal cords and the thyroid cartilage. Although this uncommon laryngeal condition is benign in nature, it could lead to dyspnea, stridor, and airway obstruction, depending on its size and location. Furthermore, some saccular cysts have been associated with laryngeal carcinoma. This study aimed to characterize this rather uncommon laryngeal condition to aid in determining the proper management of this pathology. METHODS: Medical records were retrospectively reviewed of all patients with saccular cysts diagnosed and treated between 2006 and 2017 at a tertiary otolaryngologic care center. RESULTS: Seven patients with saccular cysts were identified (male:female=2:5; mean age, 34.1 years); two were pediatric patients. Surgical intervention was performed in all patients by laryngo-microsurgery using CO2 laser. There was no recurrence after the initial surgical treatment. CONCLUSION: Saccular cysts can be managed endoscopically using CO2 laser, without requiring an external approach. Therefore, an endoscopic approach should be actively considered for an optimal treatment outcome.
Airway Obstruction ; Dyspnea ; Humans ; Larynx ; Lasers, Gas ; Medical Records ; Mucus ; Pathology ; Recurrence ; Respiratory Sounds ; Retrospective Studies ; Saccule and Utricle ; Thyroid Cartilage ; Treatment Outcome ; Vocal Cords

Functional dysphonia (FD) is a disease entity which includes various voice disorders in the absence of structural or neurologic laryngeal pathology. Muscle tension dysphonia (MTD), psychogenic dysphonia are representative FD with completely different pathogenesis. Therefore there is no standard treatment modality for FD, the first step of treatment of FD is differentiating patient's voice symptoms from other organic voice disorders and other functional voice problems. MTD is a functional voice disorder caused by hyperfunction of intrinsic and extrinsic laryngeal musculature. Symptoms include increased vocal effort, roughness, fatigue and odynophonia. First line for MTD is indirect or direct voice therapy. Unfortunately, many patients with MTD improve with voice therapy alone. For these patients, various modalities tried; lidocaine application, surgical excision of the false vocal folds, and botulinum toxin injection, etc. Botulinum toxin injections are widely used in the field of otolaryngology, especially for spasmodic dysphonia. However, its use in FD or MTD has only been described in few case reports. The aim of this lecture is to evaluate the feasibility of botulinum toxin injection for FD, especially MTD.
Botulinum Toxins ; Dysphonia ; Fatigue ; Humans ; Lidocaine ; Muscle Tonus ; Otolaryngology ; Pathology ; Vocal Cords ; Voice ; Voice Disorders

OBJECTIVES: To explore the character of laryngoscopy finding, voice, and therapy of vocal fold fibrous mass. METHODS: Clinical data, morphology, voice character, surgery and pathology of 15 cases with vocal fold fibrous mass were analyzed. RESULTS: The morbidity of vocal fold fibrous mass might be related to overuse of voice and laryngopharyngeal reflex. Laryngoscopy revealed shuttle line appearance, smoothness and decreased mucosal wave of vocal fold. These patients were invalid for voice training and might be improved by surgery, but recovery is slow. CONCLUSIONS The morbidity of vocal fold fibrous mass might be related to overuse of voice and laryngopharyngeal reflex. Conservative treatment is ineffective for this disease, and surgery might improve.
Humans ; Laryngeal Diseases ; therapy ; Laryngoscopy ; Vocal Cords ; pathology ; Voice Quality ; Voice Training

Trauma, congenital malformation and aging process can be a cause of the deviation of laryngeal prominence in the thyroid cartilage. Among these, the senility is the most common cause. Usually, ossification in the thyroid cartilage has occurred symmetrically, but the asymmetrical event leads to the shift of laryngeal prominence. Also, such deformity can provoke protrusion of false vocal fold. A 75-year-old man with hoarseness and globus sense in throat visited our clinic. Five years ago, he experienced a blunt trauma on left midline neck and had a concave deformity in the left thyroid cartilage lamina. Laryngoscopic findings revealed a marked protrusion in the left false vocal fold. We performed the laryngeal microsurgery to discriminate the tumorous condition. The pathology revealed non-pathologic mucosa. We report a unique and didactic case with a brief literature review.
Aged ; Aging ; Congenital Abnormalities ; Hoarseness ; Humans ; Microsurgery ; Mucous Membrane ; Neck ; Pathology ; Pharynx ; Thyroid Cartilage ; Thyroid Gland ; Vocal Cords

Riedel's thyroiditis is a rare fibrotic condition that results in the destruction of the thyroid and infiltration into surrounding tissues. The exact etiology is not yet clear, although systemic fibrosing disorder, a variant of Hashimoto's thyroiditis, a primary inflammatory disorder of the thyroid, and even a manifestation of end-stage subacute thyroiditis has been suggested. Although various treatments have been applied, no definitive treatment has yet been established. We report a case of Riedel's thyroiditis treated without complications using microscopic surgery. A 54-year-old man visited our clinic presenting with neck tightness and a left neck mass. A gun biopsy revealed a benign thyroid mass, although the radiologic findings showed a malignant thyroid tumor with invasion into the trachea and strap muscles. The patient underwent a left hemi-thyroidectomy and shaving of the trachea, esophagus and recurrent laryngeal nerve under microscopy. The final pathology revealed Riedel's thyroiditis combined with Hashimoto's thyroiditis. The patient had symptomatic relief without vocal fold paralysis and hypocalcemia. Surgical treatment using microscopic dissection can be considered to be one of treatment option for Riedel's thyroiditis.
Biopsy ; Esophagus ; Humans ; Hypocalcemia ; Microscopy ; Microsurgery ; Middle Aged ; Muscles ; Neck ; Paralysis ; Pathology ; Recurrent Laryngeal Nerve ; Thyroid Gland* ; Thyroiditis* ; Thyroiditis, Subacute ; Trachea ; Vocal Cords