Determining Invasion Depth in Superficial Pharyngeal Carcinoma by Transoral Ultrasonography

Abstract

ObjectivesTo examine the clinical usefulness of transoral ultrasonography (US) in determining the invasion depth of superficial pharyngeal carcinoma (SPC). Determining the invasion depth of SPC is crucial for transoral surgery including determining treatment strategy. This study aimed to examine the usefulness of transoral US in determining the invasion depth of SPC.MethodsForty‐six patients with 51 lesions who underwent both magnifying endoscopy with narrow‐band imaging (ME‐NBI) and transoral US were included. The primary outcomes were the sensitivity, specificity, positive (PPV), and negative predictive values (NPV) of ME‐NBI and transoral US findings for pathological tumor depth in SPCs.ResultsThe accuracy (82.4%), sensitivity (85.2%), PPV (82.1%), and NPV (82.6%) rates of US for subepithelial propria (SEP) were higher than those of ME‐NBI and macroscopic classification, indicating that transoral US is superior to ME‐NBI in determining the invasion depth. All cases where the SEP was clearly invaded (SEP deep) could be diagnosed as SEP by transoral US.ConclusionsTransoral US may be useful in determining the invasion depth of SPCs.Level of Evidence3 Laryngoscope, 133:2192–2197, 2023

Prognostic role of the MRI‐based involvement of superior pharyngeal constrictor muscle in oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma

“…The depth of invasion (DOI) has been incorporated into the current T staging system of the oral cavity cancer due to its crucial role both in the prognostication and predicting occult nodal metastases 27–30 . Determining the deep of invasion is critical in establishing treatment strategies for patients candidates to transoral surgery 31 . However, despite the wide diffusion of transoral surgical approaches, DOI is not conceptualized in OPSCC.…”

“…[27][28][29][30] Determining the deep of invasion is critical in establishing treatment strategies for patients candidates to transoral surgery. 31 However, despite the wide diffusion of transoral surgical approaches, DOI is not conceptualized in OPSCC. Therefore, MRI-assessed SPCM invasion might represent a parameter similar to DOI, whose role in preoperative prognostication and treatment planning of patients with OPSCC deserves investigation.…”