Diagnostic Performance of Computed Tomography in Laryngeal Carcinoma and its Extension

Abstract

Background: Laryngeal carcinoma is a common malignant neoplasm of the head and neck with high incidence of new malignancies worldwide every year. Several imaging techniques including magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT) scans are widely used to detect laryngeal carcinoma. Of them, CT scan is relatively cheaper, easily available and sensitive in the evaluation of laryngeal carcinoma.

Objective: To find out the diagnostic performance of CT scan in laryngeal carcinoma and its extensions.

Methodology: This cross-sectional study was carried out in the department of Radiology and Imaging, Dhaka Medical College
Hospital, Dhaka, during the period of July, 2016 to June, 2018 for a period of 2(two) years. A total of 50 samples were included purposively. The enrolled patients were attending outpatient department (OPD) or admitted in indoor and referred to the Radiology and Imaging department for CT scan. All the enrolled cases had laryngectomy and resected tissues were sent for histopathological examination. Data collection was done by the principal investigator and a preformed questionnaire was used during data collection. Following completion of data collection, it was analyzed by SPSS 20.0.

Results: Age range of the patients was from 18 to 84 years, with the mean age of 61.2 years + 13.4 years standard deviation and a male-female ratio of about 7.3:1. By multidetector CT scan, majority (32, 64.00%) of the tumours were found confined in a specific area with no extension, followed by 12 (24.00%) involving both supraglottic and glottic region. On the other hand, by histopathology, almost all (47, 94.00%) of the cases were found malignant and majority of the malignant cases (31, 65.96%) were found without nodal metastasis. Validity tests of CT in the diagnosis of laryngeal carcinoma revealed sensitivity, specificity, accuracy and positive predictive values of 97.9%, 66.7%, 96% and 97.9% respectively. In case of nodal metastases, the sensitivity, specificity, accuracy and positive predictive value were 93.8%, 97%, 96% and 93.8% respectively.

Conclusion: Contrast enhanced CT scan has good role in detecting nodal metastases, but had complementary role in detecting laryngeal carcinoma.

Journal of Monno Medical College December, 2023; 9 (2): 63-67