presentation of carcinoma of larynx at civil hospital Karachi

ABSTRACT

To determine the frequency of different presenting clinical features and the most common stage of presentation in patients of laryngeal carcinoma. Descriptive study. This study was conducted at ENT department, Dow University of Health Sciences and Civil Hospital Karachi, from April 2006 to March 2007. All the patients of biopsy proven laryngeal carcinoma of any age and sex were included in the study. Demographic data, presenting complain like change in voice, difficulty in breathing, difficulty in swallowing, pain, smoked and unsmoked tobacco use, clinical examination findings, DL findings, neck examination with respect to levels of lymph nodes involvement, presence or absence of metastasis recorded in performed proforma. Histopathological reports and findings of imaging studies like X-ray chest, CT scan, and ultrasound abdomen [if needed], stage of carcinoma larynx were also recorded on proforma. In this study out of 34 cases, 32 [94.1%] were males and only 2 [5.88%] were females. Mean age was 55.23 years [SD +/- 12.09]. Most common symptom was hoarseness in 32 [94.1%] cases, 27 [79.4%] presented at advanced stage [stage III and IV] while commonest site was glottic region 50%. This study concluded that the most common stage of laryngeal carcinoma patients in our setup was late stage and commonest presenting symptom was hoarseness while commonest site was glottic region