Incidence of thyroid gland invasion in locally advanced laryngeal carcinoma

Abstract

Objectives: This study aims to determine the frequency of thyroid gland invasion in patients with locally advanced laryngealcarcinoma who were treated with total laryngectomy and neck dissection as well as hemi- or total thyroidectomy.Patients and Methods: Between April 2000 and February 2016, 127 patients (123 males, 4 females; mean age 57 years;range, 41 to 74 years) who underwent total laryngectomy and neck dissection with laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma wereretrospectively reviewed in our clinic. Patients’ demographic characteristics, preoperative tumor stage, postoperative laryngectomypathology report, tumor invasion, neck lymph node invasion and thyroid gland invasion were evaluated.Results: In 127 patients, 43 with subglottic extension, extralaryngeal extension and cricothyroid membrane invasion underwent totalor hemithyroidectomy in addition to laryngectomy and neck dissection. Squamous cell carcinoma infiltration was found in one patient(2.3%) in the thyroid gland. This patient was diagnosed as T4N1M0 in the pathological stage. Thyroid cartilage invasion and subglotticextension were detected in the preoperative evaluation.Conclusion: Thyroidectomy is performed in our clinic only when subglottic extension, extralaryngeal invasion or cricothyroidmembrane invasion is present. Hence, thyroid gland invasion is not common in carcinoma of the larynx. For this reason, werecommend selective thyroidectomy to protect patients from the morbidity of routine thyroidectomy.