Immunohistochemical Analysis of Laryngeal Lesions and Clinical-Laryngoscopic Correlation

Abstract

Introduction: The vocal fold is vulnerable to several types of lesions. Immunohistochemistry is a
technique aimed to complement the routine histopathological investigation, showing the presence of
different antigens in the tissue or cell by means of specific antibodies, thus allowing the assessment of
the potential proliferation of neoplastic cells.
Objective: Detailed review of the results of vocal fold biopsies and correlation between histopathological
data and clinical course among patients.
Methods: A descriptive retrospective study based on the analysis of medical records of patients
undergoing laryngeal microsurgery due to benign diseases (polyps and nodules), whose biopsies
required additional investigation using immunohistochemistry techniques. All biopsies were carried
out by the same specialist, from January 2018 to December 2019 at the Hospital Paranaense de
Otorrinolaringologia.
Results: Seven out of the 29 patients included in this study (26 male and 3 female patients) claimed
to be tobacco users. All the 18 patients investigated for high-risk HPV scored negative in diagnostic
immunohistochemistry. Three of the 19 patients with suspected laryngeal papillomatosis resulted in
squamous cell carcinoma in the anatomopathological examination.
Conclusion: Due to similar histopathological aspects between the different types of vocal fold lesions,
there is considerable doubt regarding the gold standard in histopathological examination. To determine
the difference between benign lesions of the larynx, this paper reinforce the major role of performing
immunohistochemistry examinations in the diagnosis of apparently benign lesions regarding early
diagnosis and treatment.