ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is a human herpes virus which causes certain type of lymphoma and some epithelial neoplasm such as undifferentiated nasopharyngeal carcinoma. However, the role of EBV as a causative factor in other head and neck tumor especially, in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma is not fully elucidated. The aim of this study was to analyze the relationship between the prescence of EBV in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma and clinicopathologic characteristics. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 65 cases of laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma were retrieved from formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded blocks and analyzed for EBV by immunohistochemical staining. Results : The EBV was detected in 26(40%) of the 65 patients with laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma and 2(10%) of the 20 control ases. In 26 cases of EBV-positive patients, 13(46.4%) cases were supraglottic cancer and 13(35.1%) cases were glottic cancer. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that EBV may possibly play an etiologic role in the pathogenesis of laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma.