Abstract
Objective. To determine the long-term histopathologic changes in nasal mucosa and the relationship between progression of the histopathologic changes and the duration without air current stimulation. Material and Method. Biopsies were taken from the inferior turbinates of 11 laryngeal cancer patients after total laryngectomy. Specimens were stained with hematoksilen-eosin and several histopathologic parameters were examined under light microscopy. Results. All of the patients demonstrated at least one histopathologic abnormality (100%, n = 11). Goblet destruction and stromal fibrosis were the most common findings (81%, n = 9), followed by focal epithelial atrophy and subepithelial seromusinous gland destruction (45%, n = 5), neovascularization and congestion (36%, n = 4), complete epithelial atrophy and mixoid degeneration (27%, n = 3). According to the duration between laryngectomy and biopsy, patients were grouped in to three: group 1; less than 12 months (36%, n = 4), group 2; 12–36 months (18%, n = 2), and group 3; more than 36 months (45%, n = 5). Only congestion was found to be decreased as the duration increased (P < .005). Conclusion. In laryngeal cancer patients histopathologic changes occur in nasal mucosa eventuate due to the cessation of air current stimulation, however there was no relation between progression of the histopathologic findings and the duration of cessation.
Highlights
The nose is a part of the airway system which is most accessible for morphological and pathophysiological evaluation of changes occurring as a response to various stimuli
Eleven postoperative total laryngectomy patients were studied at Taksim Education and Research Hospital in Istanbul
The continuity of respiratory airway is interrupted by total laryngectomy
Summary
The nose is a part of the airway system which is most accessible for morphological and pathophysiological evaluation of changes occurring as a response to various stimuli. After total laryngectomy in advanced laryngeal cancer patients, upper airway cannot do its physiological functions because upper and lower airways are separated [1]. The absence of a physiological air flow stimulus after total laryngectomy leads to clinical, cytological, and histological changes of the nasal mucosa. The nasal mucosa was found to become thinner, and its color was observed to be changed over time [2,3,4,5]. Reduction of blood flow, deteriorated sense of smell and taste, changes in mucociliary transport and nasal flora are the other alterations [6, 7]
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