The value of the computed tomography in evaluating the localization of laringeal carcinomas

In this study, thirty cases af laringeal carcinoma which diagnosed in our clinic between November-1994 June-1996 are compared by preoperative CT, laryngoscopy and postoperative speciemen findings. By laryngoscopy one could evaluate the status the mucosal lining and vocale cord motility. Lımitations of the cord vocale motility is attributed to deep invasion of the tumour but, the exact dimensions of the tumour could not be estimated. The conventional radiologic examination methods da not add any useful knowledge to the laryngoscopy. The com-puted tomograpic examination is useful to determine the precise anatomic localization and spread of the tumour which is very useful ta surgeon to choose the surgical treatment method. We concluded that CT is valuable di-agnostic method in evaluating the preepiglottic area, paraglottic area, subglottic area and the inferior areas of the larynx which is obstructed by the large laryngeal masses and the cartilage invasion which could not be evaluated by laryngoscopy and other conventional radiological methods. Also we concluded that there may be wrong de-cisions about the cartilage invasion due to the irreguler calcifications and microinvasions by CT examination. In the evaluation of the small mucosal lesions CT could yield false negative results and these lesions could be more accurately determined by laryngoscopy. CT evaluation of the laryngeal carcinoma patient prior to surgical in-tervantion is an additional diagnostic tool to the laryngoscopy and very useful for the determination of the best conservative surgical method.