[Microscopic measurement of the surgical resection margins of laryngeal carcinomas].

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the relationship between the primary sites of laryngeal carcinomas and the surgical resection margins, to obtain quantitative data of the safe distance of surgical margins for supraglottic and glottic carcinomas.

METHODS

In this series, 33 cases of surgical specimens of laryngeal carcinomas were examined and measured microscopically by means of cutting strips of tissues adjacent to the tumor and longitudinal serial sections.

RESULTS

The pattern and extent of invasion of supraglottic carcinoma were quite different from those of glottic carcinoma. Under microscopic measurement, the tumor invasion distance in 95% of the supraglottic carcinoma samples was within 10.52 mm, while that of 95% of the glottic carcinoma samples was within 4.41 mm.

CONCLUSIONS

The local invasion of laryngeal carcinomas appears to be primary tumor site-dependent. The safe distance of surgical resection margins may be set at 12.52 mm and 6.41 mm for supraglottic and glottic carcinomas, respectively.