gms | German Medical Science

78th Annual Meeting of the German Society of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, Head and Neck Surgery

German Society of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, Head and Neck Surgery

16.05. - 20.05.2007, Munich

Laryngeal metastases of a malignant melanoma – surgical therapy with first application of mitomycine c

Meeting Abstract

  • corresponding author Matthias Echternach - Department of Musicians’ Medicine, Freiburg, Germany
  • Susan Arndt - Department of Oto- Rhino- Laryngology, Freiburg, Germany
  • Dominik Mattern - Department of Pathology, Freiburg, Germany
  • Bernhard Richter - Department of Musicians’ Medicine, Freiburg, Germany

German Society of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, Head and Neck Surgery. 78th Annual Meeting of the German Society of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, Head and Neck Surgery. Munich, 16.-20.05.2007. Düsseldorf, Köln: German Medical Science; 2007. Doc07hno040

The electronic version of this article is the complete one and can be found online at: http://www.egms.de/en/meetings/hno2007/07hno040.shtml

Published: August 8, 2007

© 2007 Echternach et al.
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Outline

Text

Malignant melanomas of the larynx are a rarity. In the present study, we shall describe the case of a 67-year-old female patient with a primary cutaneous malignanat melanoma and laryngeal metastases. Approximately 4 weeks after operative removal in the area of the left ventricular fold, a relapse in the local region occurred. As the vocal chord was meanwhile affected by the relapse, the possibility of a chordectomy was first discussed. Considering the limited life expectancy and the desirability of conserving the quality of life, the functioning of the voice was to be spared to the greatest possible degree. For this reason, apart from the removal of the ventricular fold, the free phonation edge was retained, removing only the lateral part of the vocal chord. Intraoperatively, mitomycin C was applied locally for the first time with a malignant melanoma in the larynx in order to prevent any relapse. After the wound healed, the patient showed, apart from a complete stroboscopic glottal occlusion, standard ratings in the acoustic analysis of the voice signal regarding jitter, shimmer, and the Dysphonia Severity Index. A follow-up examination 13 weeks later demonstrated that the patient had remained free of metastases in the laryngeal area, while her voice was still functioning well.