An interdisciplinary approach to the care of 155 WG patients resulted in a median survival of >21 years. Kidney or lung involvement at diagnosis was predictive of a >3-fold higher mortality. Although CYC remains essential in the treatment of WG, it was administered as briefly as possible and under close surveillance to avoid permanent CYC-related morbidity, which can lead to serious therapeutic problems in chronic relapsing WG.

The European Laryngological Society is proposing a classification of different laryngeal endoscopic cordectomies in order to ensure better definitions of post-operative results. We chose to keep the word "cordectomy" even for partial resections because it is the term most often used in the surgical literature. The classification comprises eight types of cordectomies: a subepithelial cordectomy (type I), which is resection of the epithelium; a subligamental cordectomy (type II), which is a resection of the epithelium, Reinke's space and vocal ligament; transmuscular cordectomy (type III), which proceeds through the vocalis muscle; total cordectomy (type IV); extended cordectomy, which encompasses the contralateral vocal fold and the anterior commissure (type Va); extended cordectomy, which includes the arytenoid (type Vb); extended cordectomy, which encompasses the subglottis (type Vc); and extended cordectomy, which includes the ventricle (type Vd). Indications for performing those cordectomies may vary from surgeon to surgeon. The operations are classified according to the surgical approach used and the degree of resection in order to facilitate use of the classification in daily practice. Each surgical procedure ensures that a specimen is available for histopathological examination.

Between 1981 and 1994, 34 patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the supraglottis were treated by transoral carbon dioxide laser resection, 12 of them palliatively. Additional treatment included neck dissection in 21 patients and radiotherapy in 24 patients. The 3-year overall survival was 62%, and the actuarial survival 80%. The overall survival for T1 and T2 tumors was 71%, and that for T3 and T4 tumors was 47%. The overall 3-year survival for the early stages, I and II, was 88%, and that for the advanced stages, III and IV, was 50%. These results are comparable to the outcome after conventional open partial resection. Given the significantly lower morbidity (only 7 patients required tracheostomy), we do not observe an age limit anymore. The transoral method can be recommended as curative treatment in T1 and T2 tumors and in selected T3 and T4 tumors in concert with neck dissection and/or radiotherapy. In patients with advanced inoperable tumors, laser surgery is an excellent alternative to tracheostomy and palliative radiotherapy. Prerequisites for successful application of the transoral carbon dioxide laser resection are adequate resection techniques.

We prospectively studied trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (T/S) in inducing remission in 'initial phase' Wegener's granulomatosis (WG), and in sustaining remission in generalized WG, in 72 patients in various disease stages. Nineteen patients with initial phase WG received T/S (2 x 960 mg/day). Another 24 patients with generalized WG received the same dose of T/S (group A) and were compared with 21 patients receiving no further treatment after standard therapy (group B). Eight patients were given T/S plus low-dose prednisone (group C). Eleven of 19 patients (58%) with initial phase WG achieved complete or partial remission lasting a median 43 months (range 6-88 months). Of the remaining eight (42%), five showed local disease progression, and three developed generalized WG. In group A (T/S alone, generalized WG), 10/24 (42%) suffered a relapse after a median 13 months (range 4-58 months). In group B (generalized WG, no further treatment) 29% of patients relapsed after a median 22.5 months (range 18-26 months). All eight patients treated with T/S plus low-dose prednisone (group C) suffered serious relapse after 2-24 months. T/S induced long-term remission in > 50% of patients with initial phase WG; however, neither T/S alone nor T/S plus low-dose prednisone sustained remission in generalized WG.

Clinical experiences with transoral CO2 laser resections of glottic and supraglottic carcinomas are presented. 47 patients with variously sized supraglottic tumors and 114 patients with early glottic cancers were treated at the University of Kiel from 1979 to 1993. Although 10 patients with glottic tumors developed recurrences, curative treatment was possible with either repeat laser surgery (3 cases), irradiation (3 cases) or salvage laryngectomy (3 cases). One patient refused further treatment. Among the 30 patients with supraglottic lesions treated for cure 18 are currently alive and free of disease. 6 patients died with no evidence of disease, 2 patients died from secondary malignancies and 3 patients succumbed to their tumors. Present findings justify routine use of laser resections of laryngeal neoplasms, although patients must still be carefully selected for treatment.