Abstract:
This paper reports the surgical treatment of 10 cases of cancer of the base of the tongue and the epiglottis resected by a transiaryngeal approach. In addition, a brief introduction of the technique is described. All the patients had squamous cell cancer which was obviously advanced to stage IV and the tumor mass extended to the whole root of the tongue, the vallecula and the epiglottis, with adequate operative exposure and clear distinction from the surrounding healthy tissues. After operation, all patients learned to swallow effectively and no persistent aspiration occurred. The speech articulation was satisfactory. Postoperative follow-up of all the patients, the shortest being 13 months, revealed no local or cervical lymphatic recurrence, but two patients died of lung metastasis, one after 18 months and the other after 48 months. The translaryngeal approach maintains the integrity of the mandibular and occlusal joints, avoids causing deformity to the face and the anterior oral cavity and prevents scarring in these organs with maximal mobility of the tongue.
Page(s):
1-5
DOI:
DOI not available
Published:
Journal: Pakistan Journal of Otolaryngology,Head and Neck Surgery, Volume: 8, Issue: 1, Year: 1992