Correlation of Local Outcome after Partial Laryngectomy with Cartilage Abnormalities on CT

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The prognostic significance of laryngeal cartilage abnor-malities, as seen on CT or MR imaging, in laryngeal or hypopharyngeal cancer, is unclear. The purpose is to determine whether cartilage abnormalities as seen on preoperative CT in laryngeal and pyriform sinus cancer are predictive of local outcome after partial laryngectomy. METHODS: The preoperative CT studies in a consecutive series of 16 patients who underwent extended hemilaryngectomy for squamous cell carcinoma of the glottis (n 12), supraglottis (n 1), or pyriform sinus (n 3) were reviewed retrospectively. Cartilage abnormalities were defined as asymmetric cartilage sclerosis, lysis of ossified cartilage, or tumor visible on both sides of the cartilage. Tumor volume was calculated by using the summation-of-areas technique. Seven patients underwent postoperative radiation therapy. All patients had a follow-up of at least 24 months after treatment or until local recurrence. RESULTS: Eleven patients showed cartilage abnormalities. In six patients, only a single cartilage was abnormal, whereas three patients showed involvement of two cartilages and two patients of three cartilages. The overall average tumor volume was 2.7 mL; the average tumor volume was 1.5 mL in the patients without and 3.3 mL in those with cartilage involvement o