Pre-operative CT cephalometry and functional outcomes after open partial horizontal laryngectomy

OBJECTIVES: To identify pre-operative radiological parameters that are able to predict the functional outcomes of open partial horizontal laryngectomy (OPHL). METHODS: The present retrospective study concerned a cohort of 96 patients with laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma who underwent pre-operative radiological staging with contrast-enhanced computerised tomography of the neck, and subsequent supracricoid or supratracheal laryngectomy. Univariate and multivariate analyses were run to assess the prognostic value of the main demographic and surgical variables, and the pre-operative cephalometric values, respectively, in terms of predicting patients’ functional outcomes. RESULTS: Multivariate analysis showed that a larger anteroposterior cross-sectional dimension of the aero-digestive tract in the mid-retroglossal area, and a greater distance between the genial tubercle and the hyoid bone in the mid-sagittal plane correlated significantly with better functional outcomes in terms of decannulation rate at discharge. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings show that larger pre-operative upper aero-digestive tract diameters and volumes coincide with better post-operative functional outcomes after OPHL.