[Laryngectomy as a salvage procedure of the patients with massive postradiation injury of the larynx].

INTRODUCTION

Author discusses problems and treatment principles of patients with massive postradiation injury, who had laryngectomy procedure as a result of insufficience of the farmacological treatment.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

There were 12 patients who were performed laryngectomy as a treatment of massive postradiation injury of the larynx in the period 1975-2005. We suspected presence of persistent neoplasm with postradiation changes. Seven laryngectomies were performed after confirmation of the neoplasm in 1-3 biopsies. Three patients were treated operatively without this confirmation in spite of two biopsies which were negatively, and two patients were treated in this way without biopsies.

RESULTS

Two patients had tomour free postlaryngectomy specimens in the histopathological examinations, and among 10 others the reccurence of the tumour after radiotherapy was present during the post-laryngectomy histopathological examinations. In 7 cases this reccurence was proved with massive postradiation injury in endoscopic biopsies before laryngectomy.

DISCUSSION

Author presents his own problems and presents methods of treatment of the patients with massive postradiation injury of the larynx described in literature.