Morphometric aspects of precancerous laryngeal hyperplastic lesions

Background. Hyperplastic processes in the larynx currently remain a very common pathology of the ENT organs, accounting for 8.4% of their total number. The great importance of this problem is attributable to the fact that hyperplastic processes in the larynx are prone to malignancy with further development of laryngeal cancer, which accounts for 69-70% among tumors of the upper respiratory tract. It is not always possible to differentiate a benign pathological process by cytological preparations. The use of cellular morphometry makes it possible to objectify the cytological examination and indentify the parameters that are significant for differential diagnosis. Objective. Improvement of the diagnosis of laryngeal pathology by morphometry of nuclear polymorphism of epithelial cells of vocal cords. Methods. The objects of the study were cytological preparations of biopsy material from visually altered areas of the laryngeal mucosa of 30 patients with chronic hyperplastic laryngitis and papillomatosis/papilloma. Results. Significant differences were found between precancerous conditions of the epithelium and squamous cell carcinoma that occurs against the background of papillary hyperplasia or papillomatosis. The most informative were the core area index and the shape factor. Conclusion. Cellular morphometry made it possible to objectify the cytological examination and identify criteria that are significant for the differential diagnosis of precancerous and cancerous changes in the epithelium of the vocal cords. The quantitative indicators obtained can be used as an additional objective differential diagnostic criterion for distinguishing between precancerous (dysplastic) and cancerous changes in the epithelium of the vocal cords.

morphometry, hyperplastic processes, chronic hyperplastic laryngitis, laryngeal papillomatosis