[On the endolaryngeal treatment of vocal-cord cancer and its limitations using CO2-laser].

A case of vocal-cord carcinoma situated in the anterior commissure of the larynx is presented. Indirect laryngeal endoscopy and biopsy evidenced a carcinoma in situ expanding on the anterior of the true vocal-cords with a subglottic expansion of about 1 cm. To obtain better visualization direct microlaryngoscopy was performed and the tumor was excised using the CO2-Laser. The anterior commissure and the adjacent parts of the true vocal-cords were excised. The false vocal-cords and adjacent tissues which were macroscopically suspicious for tumor infiltrations were exposed to the laser beam. --Later on a laryngectomy had to be performed because the tumor histologically had infiltrated adjacent tissues. The larynx was serially sectioned. Although the laser microsurgery results suggested destruction of the tumor an insufficient subglottic excision by vaporization was ascertained histologically. --This case suggests that tumors of subglottic expansion should not be excised by endolaryngeal laser microsurgery.