Diego Barbieri

Preoperative clinical predictors of difficult laryngeal exposure for microlaryngoscopy: the Laryngoscore.

To identify a clinical predictor score for difficult laryngeal exposure (DLE) during operative microlaryngoscopy.

Organ preservation surgery for low‐ and intermediate‐grade laryngeal chondrosarcomas: Analysis of 16 cases

To demonstrate that endoscopic resection (ER), open partial laryngectomies, and cricotracheal resection and anastomosis (CTRA) achieve a good balance between oncologic radicality and organ preservation for laryngeal low‐grade chondrosarcoma (LCS) and intermediate‐grade chondrosarcoma (ICS).

Functional outcomes after different types of transoral supraglottic laryngectomy

To seek a correlation between the four types of transoral supraglottic laryngectomies (TSLs) according to the European Laryngological Society (ELS) and postoperative morbidity.

Angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis in early-stage laryngeal carcinoma: Prognostic implications

Many studies have recently emphasized the role of tumor angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis in regional and distant spread of disease. Although early laryngeal cancer has a favorable oncologic outcome after conservative surgery or radiation therapy, we observed few cases with poor prognosis in terms of locoregional relapse, organ preservation, and survival. The aim of our study was to evaluate the immunohistochemical expression of CD31 and podoplanin to define angiogenic and lymphangiogenic patterns and their possible prognostic implications in previously untreated T1–T2 glottic squamous cell carcinoma.

Case report: pharyngolaryngeal stenosis in a child due to caustic ingestion treated with transoral CO2 laser microsurgery.

Accidental caustic ingestion occurs mainly in the 2- to 3-year-old age group. Up to 33% of patients develop long-term complications that principally involve the gastroesophageal tract, whereas their occurrence at the level of pharyngeal and laryngeal structures is less frequent. When present, strictures are the main disorders that can be observed. In this pathological situation, surgery is the treatment of choice, and several procedures have been described. We report the history of a 3-year-old boy affected by pharyngolaryngeal stenosis due to accidental caustic ingestion. After careful diagnosis, the child underwent surgery by transoral CO2 laser. The patient had immediate improvement and restarted oral feeding 1 day after the surgical procedure. An analysis of diagnosis and treatment of this long-term complication is also presented.

Therapeutic lateral neck dissection in well-differentiated thyroid cancer: Analysis on factors predicting distribution of positive nodes and prognosis

Neck dissection is considered the treatment of choice in patients with lateral neck metastases from well‐differentiated thyroid cancer.

Tracheal and Crico-Tracheal Resection and Anastomosis for Malignancies Involving the Thyroid Gland and the Airway

Objectives: To evaluate outcomes in different malignancies involving the thyroid and infiltrating the airway submitted to tracheal (TRA) or crico-tracheal resection and anastomosis (CTRA). Methods: Retrospective charts review of 27 patients affected by thyroid malignancies involving the airway treated by TRA/CTRA in a single academic institution. Kaplan-Meier curves were used to evaluate the overall (OS) and disease-specific (DSS) survivals and local (LC) and loco-regional control (LRC). Impact on survival of age, comorbidities, previous radiotherapy, types of TRA/CTRA, Shin’s stage (II, III, IV), grading (well vs poorly differentiated), and length of airway resected was calculated by the log-rank test. Results: Overall survival and DSS at 3 and 5 years were 82.3% and 71.6%, respectively. Local control and LRC in the entire group were 82.3% at 3 and 5 years. Crico-tracheal resection and anastomosis involving the cricoid arch and plate (type C) and tumor differentiation significantly affected OS and DSS (both P < .001). Type C CTRA and tumor differentiation significantly impacted on LC (P = .002 and P = .009, respectively). Conclusions: Grading and extension of CTRA to the cricoid plate are the most important factors for oncologic outcomes in thyroid malignancies infiltrating the airway. Except for poorly differentiated tumors, TRA/CTRA allows adequate LC even in advanced stage lesions involving the crico-tracheal junction.