Recurrent laryngeal nerve decompression for bilateral recurrent laryngeal nerve paralyses after thyroid surgery / 中华耳鼻咽喉头颈外科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the feasibility and therapeutic effect of recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) decompression in the treatment of bilateral paralyzed RLN after thyroid surgery.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>From March 2005 to June 2013, 15 cases of bilateral RLN paralyses occurring within 3 months after thyroid surgery were treated with RLN decompression. Bilateral RLN paralyses were caused by revised thyroid surgery in 8 cases and by primary thyroid surgery in 7 cases.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>RLN injuries were found in 15 cases/22 side, including RLN-cut in 9 sides and RLN-ligated in 13 sides. RLN decompression was performed in the 10 cases/13 sides of ligated RLN. Vocal cord mobility was detected through electrolaryngoscope for evaluating the postoperative functional recovery of decompressed RLN.Of 8 patients with bilateral RLN paralyses due to the ligation of RLN after previous revised thyroid surgeries, functional adduction and abduction of the vocal cord was recovered completely in 4 patients and recovered basically with a slight weak abduction in one patient after RLN decompression, and the 5 patients were decannulated in 1-4 months postoperatively. For 7 patients with bilateral RLN paralyses resulted from previous primary surgeries, unilateral or bilateral RLN decompress was performed in 2 cases and in 3 cases respectively. The mobility of the paralyzed vocal cord restored in 1-6 months after RLN decompression, besides one case with relative deficient abduction and one case with slight limited abduction and adduction, and the 5 patients were decannulated successfully.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Exploration surgery could be performed as soon as possible in patients with bilateral RLN paralyses and RLN decompress is effective for the restoration of the function of the nerve.</p>

Prognostic factors affecting results of comprehensive treatment of hypopharyngeal carcinoma / 中华耳鼻咽喉头颈外科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the efficacy of surgery followed by adjuvant radiotherapy and the prognostic factors affecting the results of treatment in hypopharyngeal carcinoma.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A retrospective review of 149 patients with hypopharyngeal carcinoma that received surgical treatment from Jun 2003 to Jun 2010 was accomplished. In the 149 patients, the site of origin were pyriform sinus (n = 121), posterior pharyngeal wall (n = 21) and postcricoid (n = 7). According to UICC 2002 criteria, there were 3 in stage I, 15 in stage II, 29 in stage III and 102 in stage IV. Surgical methods for primary tumor were: pyriform sinus resection or posterior pharyngeal wall resection in 22 cases, partial pharyngectomy and partial laryngectomy in 29 cases, partial pharyngectomy and total laryngectomy in 67 cases, total pharyngectomy and total laryngectomy in 16 cases, total pharyngolaryngectomy and partial esophagus resection in 12 cases, and total esophagus resection in 3 cases. All the patients received elective and/or radical neck dissection. Unilateral or bilateral thyroid lobectomy was performed in 98 cases. Eighty-seven patients received intensity modulation radiated therapy (IMRT) postoperatively in the cancer center of Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University. Individualized adjustment of the radiation field was made according to the surgical condition. Forty-nine cases received radiotherapy in other hospitals (dose 50-70 Gy). Laryngeal function was restored in 51 patients (34.2%). The risk clinicopathological factors of survival and the causes of death were analyzed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The survival rate was calculated with Kaplan-Meier method. The overall 3- and 5- year survival rates were 47.7% and 38.7%, respectively. There were no significant differences in 3-year survival between T1-2 and T3-4 groups, N0 and N+ groups, stage I-II and III-IV groups, laryngeal function preserved and unpreserved groups. The overall 3 years survival rate of patients received surgery and adjuvant radiotherapy was higher than those just received surgery alone (χ² = 6.851, P < 0.05). The 3-year survival rate in patients treated in comprehensive treatment group has showed a good trend, although still no statistical significance (χ² = 0.176, P > 0.05). The cause of death in 86 patients, including regional lymph nodes recurrence in 25 cases (29.1%). Of them, one was stoma recurrence and 9 were retropharyngeal lymph nodes metastasis; distant metastasis in 19 cases (22.1%); local recurrence in 13 cases, local or regional recurrence with distant metastasis in 8 cases (9.3%), and second primary cancer in 6 cases (7.0%).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>The overall prognosis of hypopharyngeal carcinoma was poor and dismal. In accordance with specific conditions of surgery, active adjustment of the personalized protocol of IMRT was the key of improving the efficacy of hypopharyngeal carcinoma.</p>

Efficacy of retropharyngeal nodes dissection in hypopharyngeal cancer / 中华耳鼻咽喉头颈外科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the necessity and feasibility of planned dissection of the retropharyngeal lymph nodes (RPLN) in advanced hypopharyngeal cancer.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Between February 2011 and December 2012, 54 patients with advanced hypopharyngeal cancer accepted planned dissection of the RPLN during primary surgery. There were 45 cases of pyriform sinus carcinoma, 5 cases of posterior pharyngeal wall carcinoma, and 4 cases of postcricoid carcinoma. All patients underwent surgery and postoperative adjuvant radiotherapy, meanwhile bilateral neck dissection and RPLN dissection were performed. All patients received preoperative CT scanning (with contrast). The results of the radiographic assessment were compared with the postoperative pathologic findings respectively.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>RPLN were confirmed positive by pathology in 13 cases, and negative in another 43 cases. For the entire treatment group, metastasis to the RPLN was confirmed hispathologically in 12 patients (22.2%). Eight patients were pyriform sinus carcinoma, 4 were posterior pharyngeal wall carcinoma. Among them, seven patients were diagnosed as RPLN metastasis by CT imaging and another 5 patients were not confirmed. The overall accuracy for the radiologist's interpretation was 79.6%, the sensitivity was 58.3%, and the specificity was found to be 85.7%. Eleven patients were N2-3 and 6 patients were N2c. No RPLN metastasis or recurrence was found during more than one year follow-up period.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>It is not rare for the RPLN metastasis in patients with advanced hypopharyngeal carcinoma. CT imaging is not effective in determining the early presence of RPLN metastasis. The planned dissection of the RPLN is highly recommended during the initial surgery of hypopharyngeal cancer, especially in posterior pharyngeal wall carcinoma, T3-4 pyriform sinus carcinoma and staged N2-3 cases.</p>