Emanuel M. Skolnik

Postoperative Radiotherapy for Persistent Tumor at the Surgical Margin in Head and Neck Cancers

Seventy‐two patients with a carcinoma of the head and neck, who were treated with surgery and postoperative irradiation, were reviewed to determine the local recurrence rates and survival in patients with inadequate surgical margins. Tumor recurrence rate was 31% for patients with microscopic tumors at resection margins and 50% for those with macroscopic tumor. Actuarial 3‐year survival for these patients was 71% and 43%, respectively. All 4 patients who were irradiated later than 6 weeks after surgery developed recurrent malignancy despite the resection margins being free of tumor. Excluding these patients the 3‐year survival for R0 patients was similar to that of R1 patients. It is concluded that postoperative irradiation is effective in patients with tumor at the surgical margins. It is suggested that the time interval between surgery and radiation therapy be limited to less than 6 weeks. Radiation dose prescriptions for various clinical situations are discussed.

Tumors of the major salivary glands

Tumors of the major salivary glands are reviewed according to classification, location, surgical procedure and end results. Our data of the incidence of benign and malignant tumors show that the most commonly involved area is the parotid gland and the most frequent is of the mixed variety.

Laryngeal Injuries Secondary to Nasogastric Tubes

Laryngeal complications secondary to nasogastric intubation have been reported rarely in recent literature. Recent experience with three patients who developed laryngeal injuries related to nasogastric tubes prompted retrospective, experimental, and prospective studies to determine the mechanism of laryngeal injury. A review of the literature, as well as the clinical findings in our three patients, point to midline tube placement and the subsequent development of cricoid chondritis as the underlying etiology. An experimental study using anesthetized dogs was designed to compare histologically the effect on the larynx with nasogastric tubes placed in the midline, as opposed to nasogastric tubes in the lateral position. Results of the histologic study confirmed that midline tubes generate severe inflammation in the postcricoid region. One hundred patients were then evaluated roentgenographically to determine the incidence of midline tube placement in a random sample. Six percent of the patients had nasogastric tubes in the midline. Patients who have nasogastric tubes in place for more than three days or have a severe amount of discomfort should have an x-ray film to determine position of the tube. Midline tubes should be removed or replaced.

Panel discussion on glottic tumors. V. Carcinoma of the laryngeal glottis therapy and end results

The end results of 264 patients with vocal cord carcinoma treated by either surgery or radiation therapy at the University of Illinois from 1955 to 1972 are analyzed. Stage I glottic carcinoma can be cured by either surgery or radiation alone (86 percent and 80 percent). Stage II glottic cancer treated by surgery has achieved survival rates of 70 percent. The five‐year end results of Stage III glottic cancer are 49 percent for surgery and 30 percent for radiation. The management of glottic carcinoma, according to anatomic site and indications for various modalities are discussed.

Laryngotracheal invasion by thyroid-carcinoma.

Laryngotracheal invasion by well-differentiated thyroid carcinoma is an uncommon occurrence. Recommendations for therapy have primarily included total laryngectomy or shaving of the tumor from laryngeal or tracheal cartilages. Clear guidelines have not been established for the applicability of partial laryngeal resections. In a retrospective analysis of patients with thyroid carcinoma, 13 patients had airway invasion. Of the five patients with laryngeal involvement, three were treated by a partial laryngeal resection. An experimental study was undertaken to determine more precisely the amount of cricoid cartilage which could be resected without reconstruction. Varying amounts of cricoid cartilage were resected. The results indicate that 25% of the cricoid cartilage may be resected without appreciable airway narrowing. On the basis of the retrospective analysis and experimental study, we feel a partial laryngeal resection is possible in most cases of airway invasion by thyroid carcinoma.

The conservation neck dissection

This study compares the neck tumor recurrence rate between patients treated with radical neck dissection and those treated with conservation neck dissection. A standard radical neck dissection modified by sparing at least the internal jugular vein or the spinal accessory nerve is defined as a conservation dissection. Six hundred ninety‐one neck dissections performed on 631 patients in the Department of Otolaryngology‐Head and Neck Surgery of the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Chicago were reviewed retrospectively. All patients had been followed postoperatively for at least 24 months. Group I consisted of 422 radical neck dissections. Group II contained 269 conservation neck dissections.

The sternocleidomastoid myoperiosteal flap for esophagopharyngeal reconstruction and fistula repair: Clinical and experimental study

Despite advances in head and neck surgery, reconstruction of the pharynx and cervical esophagus continues to be troublesome. Classic pedicled flaps are often too bulky and difficult to position for repair of pharyngeal and esophageal fistulas. An ideal flap would be local, well‐vascularized, compact, and capable of being sutured into a tension‐free, watertight seal. In selected cases, the sternocleidomastoid myoperiosteal flap can meet these requirements in a single‐stage procedure for repair of fistulas as well as selected cases of primary pharyngeal reconstruction.

Otologic complications of radiation therapy.

Radiation therapy has proved to be a valuable modality in the management of patients with nasopharyngeal tumors. Routine follow-up of patients in the tumor clinic of the University of Illinois Eye and Ear Infirmary appeared to indicate an increasing incidence of otologic pathology. For this reason, a retrospective study focusing on the otologic findings in patients whose radiation therapy for nasopharyngeal tumors included the external auditory canal, middle ear space, or eustachian tube was performed. The results of this study are discussed in relationship to total radiation dosage, time of survival after therapy, and pretreatment otologic status. The complications covered a spectrum from intermittent serous otitis media to osteoradionecrosis of the external auditory canal. Possible contributing factors are discussed, and preventive measures are suggested.

Sternomastoid Myoperiosteal Flap for Reconstruction of the Subglottic Larynx

Reconstruction of the subglottis is usually required after resection of cricoid cartilage or tracheal tissue in cases of trauma, subglottic stenosis, or invasive thyroid carcinoma. There are multiple techniques available for reconstruction of the subglottic larynx, but most of them have a high rate of complications or graft failure. We have found the sternocleidomastoid myoperiosteal flap to be an ideal means of reconstruction. In an experimental study, we performed subglottic reconstruction using the sternomastoid myoperiosteal flap on 15 mongrel dogs to determine the presence of bone formation versus calcified fibrous scar. Radiologic studies suggested apparent metaplastic bone formation at the graft site, and histologic studies confirmed this. Functionally, 12 dogs had stable airways without stridor or subglottic narrowing. Three dogs died of complications. With successful reconstruction of large defects in the canine subglottis, attempts to repair large subglottic and tracheal defects in the human are feasible.

Transposition of the lingual thyroid

Lingual thyroid represents the only functioning thyroid tissue in the body in 70–80 percent of the cases, surgical ablation of which will produce hypothyroidism. Transposition of the lingual ectopic thyroid with its vascular supply intact as a pedicle graft is presented. This seems to be the most logical approach in preserving the viability and function of these ectopic tissues.