PREDICTIVE VALUE OF COMPUTARISED TOMOGRAPHY FOR DETERMINING THYROID GLAND INVASION IN PATIENTS WITH LARYNGEAL CANCER
1Gülhane Askeri Tıp Akademisi, KBB Anabilim Dalı, Ankara, Türkiye2Gülhane Askeri Tıp Akademisi, Radyoloji Anabilim Dalı, Ankara, Türkiye Aim: To determine the value of computerized tomography (CT) for predicting thyroid gland invasion that may be observed in patients with laryngeal cancer.
Material and Method: The medical records of forty-six male patients at the age of 59.02 ± 9.60 medium (ranging 38 to 84) who had total laryngectomy with ipsilateral thyroidectomy operation during 1993 and 2004 period are reviewed retrospectively. Preoperatively performed CT scans of the patients are evaluated again for thyroid gland invasion and compared with the histopathologic results of the specimens.
Results: All the patients had had total laryngectomy and neck dissections. Forty patients (86.8 %) had hemithyroidectomy, 3 patients (6.6 %) had subtotal and 3 patients (6.6 %) had total thyroidectomy. In 5 patients (11 %) histopathologic results revealed gland invasion. Gland invasion is reported in 6 patients (13.2 %) at CT and two of them did not show histopathologic invasion. Forty patients (86.8 %) are reported as normal at CT and one of them had histopathologic gland invasion. The sensivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value of CT in predicting thyroid gland invasion in patients with laryngeal cancer are 80 %, 95.1 %, 66.7 % and 97.5 % respectively.
Conclusion: Preoperative CT scan seems to be a useful tool in the management of thyroid gland in patients with laryngeal cancer who are candidate for total laryngectomy.
Keywords : Laryngeal cancer, thyroidectomy, computerized tomography