Curative effect of cold micro forceps and CO2 laser in the treatment of laryngeal amyloidosis

Abstract

Background: Amyloidosis is a benign, slowly progressive disease. However, the treatment of laryngeal amyloidosis (LA) has not been studied systematically.Objectives: To investigate the treatment results of cold micro forceps or carbon dioxide laser under microlaryngoscope in the treatment of LA.Methods: A retrospective review was conducted for the cases collected from January 1990 to March 2016 at our department.Results: One hundred and eighteen patients (44 males and 74 females, with an average age of 51.7 years) with LA were identified. The amyloidosis was not found in organs other than the larynges and tracheas. The patients most commonly presented with hoarseness and dyspnea. All patients underwent surgical removal of the amyloid deposits (via micro forceps or CO2 laser). Twenty-nine patients developed recurrences requiring further treatments. The mean interval from treatments to recurrences in these patients was 16.5 months. Five patients were treated more than once. No significant difference was found between cold micro forceps and CO2 laser methods in recurrences.Conclusions: LA generally behaves as a benign disease. Resection of LA either via cold micro forceps or CO2 laser under microlaryngoscope is both safe and effective methods. Regular follow-up with laryngoscopy is indicated for early diagnosis of recurrence.