Reinke's oedema: a premalignant condition?

The purpose of this investigation was to evaluate in the long term the risk of malignancy occurring in the larynx of patients treated for Reinke's oedema. Out of 120 patients treated by surgical stripping of the vocal cords during an eight-year period, 103 comprised the follow-up investigation group. Histological examination of the specimens from the stripping disclosed epithelial microscopic lesions in 26 per cent graded as not more than moderately dysplastic. At the follow-up examination 1 patient had developed cancer, while only 12 per cent still had epithelial lesions graded as not more than mildly dysplastic. The vast majority of the patients in this study were habitual smokers. We consider that patients with Reinke's oedema are likely to be in a higher risk group, and that this risk may be connected more with the smoking habit than the Reinke oedema itself.