[Local extension of epithelioma of the glottic floor; anatomo-clinical correlations and study of local failure. Apropos of 432 patients treated by partial laryngeal surgery].

The authors have studied real tumoral extension in 432 cases with N0 M0 epidermoid carcinoma of the glottic floor treated by partial laryngeal surgery over the period extending from 1972 to 1984. This retrospective study defines the limits and the errors of preoperative assessment of local extension. Clinical examination and direct suspension laryngoscopy are needed. T classification cannot be used as a sole reference in the selection of the surgical technique. The difficulties encountered in the evaluation of real tumor extension in this type of neoplasia calls for great caution on the part of the surgeon in selecting the procedure for partial laryngeal surgery. The study of the incidence of local failures in cases of real tumor extension emphasizes the need for an appropriate surgical technique for the local management of tumoral extension. The authors identify the respective place held by such techniques as thyrotomy associated with internal subperichondrial degloving and partial vertical laryngectomy with cartilage resection, and its many variants, and partial horizontal subcricoid laryngectomy (of the cricohyoepiglottopexy-type).