R. Siegert et al., HISTOPATHOLOGY OF LARYNGEAL CHANGES AFTER LONG-TERM CHONDROSYNTHESIS, European archives of oto-rhino-laryngology, 254(9-10), 1997, pp. 463-465
Two patients treated for laryngeal tumors at the University of Lubeck
are presented. Both underwent laryngeal reconstructions with plate and
screw fixation systems immediately following partial laryngectomies.
Recurrent disease was found at 14 and 55 months, respectively, and was
subsequently managed by total laryngectomy. The laryngectomy specimen
s with the plate and screws in situ were evaluated histopathologically
, paying special attention to the reaction of local tissue to the impl
ants. Findings showed that the metallic plates were fixed with screws
in the bony trabeculae of the laryngeal skeleton. The histological res
ponse showed primary wound healing without evidence of sequestration o
r implant loosening, as often associated with excess mechanical stress
. Furthermore, there were no signs of tissue necrosis or widespread ch
ronic inflammation. In both patients, a small discrete area of chronic
inflammation and soft tissue fibrosis was noted adjacent to the screw
heads. This study supports our previously documented clinical experie
nce that the use of chondrosynthetic techniques is almost complication
-free and is an ideal system for performing precise anatomical reconst
ruction of the laryngeal skeleton.