Congenital glottic web: Management and anatomical observation

Effect of Bilateral Vocal Fold Microsuturing on Voice Quality Improvement in Patients With Anterior Glottic Webs: A Retrospective Observational Study

PURPOSE

This study was performed to introduce a modified procedure involving a combination of bilateral vocal fold mucosal flaps and microsurgical sutures for the management of anterior glottic webs and to study its efficacy in decreasing the recurrence rate and improving voice quality.

METHODS

We retrospectively reviewed 102 patients with anterior glottic webs who underwent surgical treatment by a carbon dioxide laser incision with or without microsurgical suturing in our hospital from May 2014 to April 2021. We focused on the reoperation rate and the voice outcomes based on the 30-item Voice Handicap Index.

RESULTS

This study included 102 patients with anterior glottic webs, which were caused by papilloma excision and endoscopic laryngocarcinoma resection in 97 (95.1%) of the 102 patients; less common causes were infection and traumatic injury. All incisions were performed along the midline with a carbon dioxide laser under microscopy and a self-retaining laryngoscope; 37 (36.3%) patients underwent microsurgical suturing and 65 (63.7%) patients did not. The microsuture group had a lower reoperation rate (χ2= 7.069, P = 0.0078) and higher voice quality (t = 2.054, P = 0.0462) than the non-microsuture group.

CONCLUSIONS

We introduced a modified procedure that can both decrease the recurrence rate and improve the voice quality in patients with anterior glottic webs. Hence, this combination therapy involving bilateral vocal fold mucosal flaps and microsurgical sutures is worthy of clinical application and promotion.

Endoscopic Versus Open Surgical Intervention for Congenital Laryngeal Webs: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

OBJECTIVES

To examine and compare the outcomes of various surgical interventions for congenital laryngeal webs in terms of avoidance of tracheostomy, rate of decannulation, web recurrence, revision surgery, and mortality in children.

DATA SOURCES

Following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, a systematic review was conducted on December 10, 2021, using a comprehensive search in PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane library, and Embase with no date restriction.

REVIEW METHODS

Articles on surgical intervention for congenital laryngeal webs in pediatric (<18 years) patients were included in the analysis. Articles including acquired laryngeal webs, no surgical intervention, or exclusively adult population were excluded.

RESULTS

9027 articles were reviewed, 24 articles met the inclusion criteria and 126 patients were included. In patients with Grades I and II webs, there was no significant difference in rates of tracheostomy or decannulation, between endoscopic (100%) versus open approach (100%). For Grades III and IV webs, 96% of patients who received open surgery were decannulated or avoided tracheostomy compared to 84% of those managed endoscopically (p = 0.081). There were significantly lower rates of revision surgery in the open group compared to the endoscopic group (77.8% vs 30.9%, p = 0.008).

CONCLUSION

This study showed no difference in rates of tracheostomy, decannulation, web recurrence, revision, or mortality between endoscopic and open approaches for the treatment of Grades I and II webs. For Grades III and IV, open surgical techniques achieved a lower revision rate. Results should be interpreted in light of associated increased morbidity with open procedures.

Surgical Treatment Modalities for Iatrogenic Anterior Glottic Stenosis

Objectives:

The aim of this study was to describe common iatrogenic causes of anterior glottic stenosis and to investigate the surgical treatment outcomes of 3 different techniques aimed at repairing stenoses and preventing web reformation.

Methods:

Clinical information regarding patient demographics, presentation, etiology, treatment, and follow-up outcomes was obtained retrospectively through a review of patients’ records between April 2010 and April 2017. Voice quality was evaluated using grade, roughness, breathiness, asthenia, and strain scale and Voice Handicap Index scores. Objective acoustic parameters were collected using the Kay Elemetrics Multi-Speech program.

Results:

Twenty patients were included in the study. Causes of glottic web formation included chemoradiation therapy and previous laryngeal surgery for polyps or malignant tumors at the anterior commissure. Web lysis with a CO2 laser, intralaryngeal suturing, and keel placement were used in surgical treatment. Satisfactory results were achieved in 19 patients, and 1 recurrence was observed. Grade, roughness, breathiness, asthenia, and strain scale and Voice Handicap Index scores and objective voice variables for patients with Cohen type I or II webs improved significantly after the surgery.

Conclusions:

Treatment modalities for anterior glottic stenosis should be carefully chosen according to the etiology of the web, as well as the length and depth of the glottis involved.

Laryngoscopy and Bronchoscopy in an Infant With a Congenital Laryngeal Web Complicated by Bilateral Pneumothoraces: A Case Report

Neonates with laryngeal webs pose unique challenges to the anesthesiologist. We present a 2-day-old neonate with aphonia and stridor who underwent microdirect laryngoscopy. Intraoperatively, a Cohen type 4 laryngeal web was diagnosed not immediately amenable to resection. Therefore, the decision was made for endotracheal intubation and subsequent tracheostomy. After endotracheal intubation, there was acute respiratory compromise and oxygen desaturation that improved moderately after urgent tracheostomy. A chest radiograph revealed a large pneumothorax. Our experience suggests that in the presence of high-grade laryngeal webs, the possibility of intraoperative development of pneumothorax should be considered if respiratory difficulties are encountered.

Web thickness determines the therapeutic effect of endoscopic keel placement on anterior glottic web

This work is a retrospective analysis to investigate the critical risk factor for the therapeutic effect of endoscopic keel placement on anterior glottic web. Altogether, 36 patients with anterior glottic web undergoing endoscopic lysis and silicone keel placement were enrolled. Their voice qualities were evaluated using the voice handicap index-10 (VHI-10) questionnaire, and improved significantly 3 months after surgery (21.53 ± 3.89 vs 9.81 ± 6.68, P < 0.0001). However, 10 (27.8%) cases had web recurrence during the at least 1-year follow-up. Therefore, patients were classified according to the Cohen classification or web thickness, and the recurrence rates were compared. The distribution of recurrence rates for Cohen type 1 ~ 4 were 28.6, 16.7, 33.3, and 40%, respectively. The difference was not statistically significant (P = 0.461). When classified by web thickness, only 2 of 27 (7.41%) thin type cases relapsed whereas 8 of 9 (88.9%) cases in the thick group reformed webs (P < 0.001). These results suggest that the therapeutic outcome of endoscopic keel placement mostly depends on the web thickness rather than the Cohen grades. Endoscopic lysis and keel placement is only effective for cases with thin glottic webs. Patients with thick webs should be treated by other means.

A Misdiagnosed Laryngeal Web: Treated with an Innovative Self-Made Keel

Laryngeal web is a rare congenital anomaly. Late presentation at the age of 10 years as in our case, with misleading diagnosis of asthma in a Cohen's type III glottic web is even rarer. In cases of congenital laryngeal web the aim is to provide a patent airway and to achieve a good voice quality. Regardless of the technique used; the primary concern is recurrence. Traditionally, the treatment of choice for laryngeal web was laryngofissure with placement of a keel however; endoscopic laser excision of the web with keel placement is now the preferred technique for thin anterior glottic webs. This endoscopic technique not only requires a Lichtenberger needle carrier but also the ready-made keel, which many of the government set-ups in our country cannot provide. For an alternative to this problem, we have described an innovative, minimally invasive technique for placement of a self-made silicone keel without any sophisticated instruments.

Endoscopic surgical management of inspiratory stridor in newborns and infants

OBJECTIVE

Compare the incidence of endoscopic surgical treatment of patients with laryngomalacia to other aerodigestive pathology who may present with similar symptoms.

METHODS

Consecutive case series with chart review of endoscopic surgical intervention in infants, aged 12 months or less, presenting with inspiratory stridor, in the absence of syndromic condition or prior history of intubation.

RESULTS

A total of 30 patients were identified. The average age at the time of surgical intervention was 2.7 months. Endoscopic surgical management was directed at laryngomalacia (70%), vallecular cysts (23.3%), and anterior glottic webs (6.7%). All patients had nearly immediate resolution of the stridor and feeding difficulties. None required revision surgery, modified diets, or alternative means of enteric nutrition.

CONCLUSIONS

Laryngomalacia was the most commonly encountered surgical indication for stridulous newborns and infants with severe symptoms. Like most previous descriptions, patients responded well to supraglottoplasty. Vallecular cysts accounted for about one-quarter of the infants treated. Clinicians should carefully consider the presence of other airway pathology, which may mimic laryngomalacia, in non-syndromic infants without a previous history of intubation. Endoscopic surgical management may be safe and effective.

Topical mitomycin C can effectively alleviate dysphagia in children with long-segment caustic esophageal strictures

Caustic ingestion in children and the resulting long esophageal strictures are usually difficult to be managed, and eventually, esophageal replacement was required for cases refractory to frequent dilatation sessions. Topical mitomycin C (MMC) application has been used recently to improve the results of endoscopic dilatation for short esophageal strictures. The study aims to assess the role of MMC application in management of long-segment caustic esophageal strictures. From January 2009 to June December 2013, patients presented with long caustic esophageal stricture (>3 cm in length) were included in this study and subjected to topical MMC application after endoscopic esophageal dilatation on multiple sessions. Regular follow-up and re-evaluation were done. A dysphagia score was used for close follow-up clinically; verification was done radiologically and endoscopically. During the specified follow-up period, 21 patients with long caustic esophageal stricture were subjected to topical MMC application sessions. Clinical, radiological, and endoscopic resolution of strictures occurred in 18 patients (85.7% cure rate). Number of dilatation sessions to achieve resolution of dysphagia was (n = 14.3 ± 5.7) with application of mitomycin two to six times. There was no recurrence in short- and mid-term follow-up. No complications were encountered related to topical MMC application. MMC is a promising agent in management of long-segment caustic esophageal strictures. Long-term follow-up is needed to prove its efficacy and to evaluate potential long-term side-effects of MMC application.

Suturing silastic sheet from outside into larynx cavity: measurement of angles and clinical practice

CONCLUSION

Extra-endolaryngeal cavity puncturing with reasonable puncturing angles is an alternative method for implantation of silastic sheets when the Lichtenberger needle holder is unavailable.

OBJECTIVES

To determine reasonable extra-endolaryngeal puncturing angles for implantation of laryngeal silastic sheet and to observe the effect on treating and preventing glottic webs.

METHODS

Puncture processes were conducted via extra-endolaryngeal access. For the upper puncture, the needle was inserted into the bottom of the epiglottic petiole superior to the anterior commissure through the thyrohyoid membrane. For the lower puncture, the needle was delivered into the inferior to anterior commissure (equivalent to the inferior border of the vocal cords) through the cricothyroid membrane. The upper and lower puncture angles between puncture needles and the tangential line of the thyroid cartilage were measured in 14 cadavers. Silastic sheets were implanted into laryngeal cavities in 20 patients to treat or prevent anterior glottic webs.

RESULTS

The mean value of the upper puncture angle was 30° (range 23.5-39°) while the lower puncture angle was also 30° (24-40°). Surgery procedures for implanting silastic sheets succeeded in 20 patients by extra-endolaryngeal puncture access. The average numbers of upper and lower punctures were 2 and 1.6, respectively. At follow-up none of the 20 patients had webs or had only 1 mm adhesion area.

Topical mitomycin C application is effective in management of localized caustic esophageal stricture: a double-blinded, randomized, placebo-controlled trial

BACKGROUND

Frequent sessions of endoscopic dilatation are usually required in the management of benign esophageal strictures, especially caustic induced ones. Topical mitomycin C (MMC) has been recently used in the management of resistant strictures. This study evaluated the efficacy of MMC application in prevention of stricture recurrence after endoscopic dilatation.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

This double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial included forty patients with caustic esophageal strictures dating from January 2008 to October 2010. Patients were randomized into 2 groups to undergo endoscopic dilatation with application of either MMC versus placebo on stricture site. Regular follow up and re-evaluation were done after 6 months of management. The number of dilatation sessions needed for resolution of dysphagia in each group was our primary outcome.

RESULTS

During the specified follow up period, 80 % of strictures in the MMC group got completely resolved compared to only 35% in the placebo group. The mean number of dilatation sessions needed in the MMC group was n = 3.85 ± 2.08 compared to n = 6.9 ± 2.12 in the placebo group which was statistically significant (p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

Mitomycin C application significantly reduced the number of dilatation sessions needed to alleviate dysphagia in patients with caustic esophageal strictures.