Clinical Analysis of the Laryngeal Premalignant Lesion / 대한이비인후과학회지

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: It is hard to adequately define the clinical and histologic characteristics of laryngeal premalignant lesions that herald the potential for progression to invasive squamous cell carcinoma especially in the Korean population. The aim of this study was to analyze prognostic factors of laryngeal premalignant lesions in the Korean population. MATERIALS AND METHOD: A retrospective analysis was undertaken in 88 patients with laryngeal premalignant lesions. All were diagnosed with laryngeal keratosis and dysplasia on pathology. RESULTS: 66 patients showed keratosis, 12 patients mild dysplasia, 4 patients moderate dysplasia, and 6 patients severe dysplasia. Of the 88 patients available for follow up (ranging from 6 to 135 months), six patients (6.8%) developed invasive squamous cell carcinoma. Use of CO2 Laser was not associated with cancer progression (p=0.641). In contrast, grade of dysplasia was significantly associated with cancer risk (p=0.032). CONCLUSION: The laryngeal premalignant lesion represents a possible passage to cancer in a limited number of cases, but with a more probability for high degree dysplasia in respect to low degree dysplasia.