Thyroid cartilage flap reconstruction of cricoid in the management of subglottic carcinoma / 中华耳鼻咽喉头颈外科杂志

ABSTRACT

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate the effect of conservative surgical management on patients with subglottic cancer.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Nine cases with subglottic carcinoma were treated surgically from 1984 to 1999. There were T2N0 lesions in 2 cases, T3N0-1 in 3 cases and T4N0-1 in 4 cases. All the cases underwent partial laryngectomy including partial cricoid resection. Variations of a pedicled thyroid cartilage flap were used for reconstruct the cricoid defect. The pedicle based muscle was thyrohyoid, sterno-thyroid or inferior constrictor. Unilateral neck dissection was performed on 7 cases and bilateral on two.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The function of phonation were preserved in all cases. Eight of nine 8/9 were decanulated. Normal deglutition were achieved for all patients. The 3 and 5 year survival rates were 8/9 and 6/9, respectively.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Pedicled thyroid cartilage flap is appropriate for reconstruction of the cricoid defect in the conservative surgery of selected subglottic carcinoma.</p>