Pharyngeal Mucosal Margin Vessel Counts Predict Pharyngocutaneous Fistula in Salvage Laryngectomy.

Publisher: Wiley Country of Publication: England NLM ID: 8508176 Publication Model: Print-Electronic Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1097-6817 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 01945998 NLM ISO Abbreviation: Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg Subsets: MEDLINE

Publication: 2023- : [Oxford] : Wiley
Original Publication: [Rochester, Minn.] : The Academy, [c1981-

Laryngectomy*/adverse effects ; Laryngectomy*/methods ; Cutaneous Fistula*/etiology ; Salvage Therapy* ; Laryngeal Neoplasms*/surgery ; Laryngeal Neoplasms*/pathology ; Pharyngeal Diseases*/etiology ; Pharyngeal Diseases*/pathology ; Postoperative Complications*; Humans ; Male ; Retrospective Studies ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Aged ; Margins of Excision ; Pharynx ; Mucous Membrane/pathology ; Predictive Value of Tests ; Fistula/etiology

Objective: We evaluated vessel counts in the pharyngeal mucosal margins of patients who underwent salvage laryngectomy to establish whether mucosal vascularity might predict fistula risk.
Study Design: Retrospective cohort.
Setting: Tertiary Medical Center.
Methods: Patients who underwent salvage total laryngectomy at our institution between 1999 and 2015 were identified. Pharyngeal mucosal margins from laryngectomy specimens were evaluated histologically for each patient, and vessel counts were performed on 5 ×10 images. The primary outcome measure was fistula within 30 days of surgery and mean vessel counts were assessed as the principle explanatory variable.
Results: Seventy patients were included and 40% developed a postoperative fistula. There was a large difference in the mean vessel count in patients who did develop fistula (48.6 vessels/×10 field) compared to those who did not (34.7 vessels/×10 field). A receiver operative characteristic curve found that a cutoff value of 33.9 vessels/×10 field provided a sensitivity of 75% and specificity of 62% to predict the likelihood of fistula occurrence (area under the curve = 0.71, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.59-0.83). In a binary logistic regression, patients with vessel counts greater than 33.9 had a 5-fold increased risk of developing fistula (95% CI: 1.8-16.45). Histologically, vessels in the pharyngeal mucosa of patients who developed fistulas were more disorganized.
Conclusion: After salvage laryngectomy, patients with higher mean mucosal margin vessel counts are at increased risk of fistula. The mechanism is unknown, but the disorganization of the vasculature may contribute to poor wound healing. Vessel counting may allow for fistula risk stratification and guide postoperative care.
(© 2024 The Author(s). Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American Academy of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery Foundation.)

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P30 CA086862 United States CA NCI NIH HHS

Keywords: fistula; head and neck; laryngectomy; squamous cell cancer; wound healing

Date Created: 20240617 Date Completed: 20240827 Latest Revision: 20241016

20241016

10.1002/ohn.865

38881401