Histopathologic Study of Carcinoma of the Hypopharynx: Implications for Conservation Surgery

A total of 38 specimens obtained by laryngopharyngectomy were subjected to a whole organ section study. Of the 38, 31 were pyriform sinus (PS), three were postcricoid (PC), and four were posterior wall (PW) carcinomas. The results were as follows. 1) The thyroid cartilage was involved much more frequently than the other laryngeal cartilages. 2) Joint involvements were infrequent. 3) The interarytenoid, thyroarytenoid, and lateral cricoarytenoid muscles frequently were invaded by PS carcinomas, whereas PC carcinomas frequently involved the interarytenoid and posterior cricoarytenoid muscles. 4) The recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) was involved in all PC T3 cases, but RLN involvement was rare in PS cases. 5) Involvements of the paraglottic space and periarytenoid region were closely related to fixation of the larynx on the affected side (hemilarynx) in PS carcinomas. 6) Neither hemilarynx fixation nor PS apex involvement was a reliable landmark for determining the exact extent of laryngeal involvement. 7) Conservation surgery could have been employed in 18 of the 38 cases.