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Pharyngocutaneous fistula in irradiated patients: systematic review and our experience

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  07 January 2022

M Casasayas Open the ORCID record for M Casasayas [Opens in a new window] ,
A Sansa ,
J García-Lorenzo ,
M del Prado Venegas ,
M Quer  and
X León
M Casasayas*
Affiliation:
Otorhinolaryngology Department, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
A Sansa
Affiliation:
Otorhinolaryngology Department, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
J García-Lorenzo
Affiliation:
Otorhinolaryngology Department, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
M del Prado Venegas
Affiliation:
Otorhinolaryngology Department, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
M Quer
Affiliation:
Otorhinolaryngology Department, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
X León
Affiliation:
Otorhinolaryngology Department, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Bioingeniería, Biomateriales y Nanomedicina, Madrid, Spain
*
Author for correspondence: Dr M Casasayas, Otorhinolaryngology Department, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, C/ Mas Casanovas 90, Barcelona 08041, Spain E-mail: mcasasayas@santpau.cat Fax: +34 93 556 5604
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Abstract

Objective

Radiotherapy is considered a risk factor for pharyngocutaneous fistula after a total laryngectomy. This study aimed to analyse the impact of exclusive radiotherapy versus chemoradiotherapy and the time interval between radiotherapy and surgery on the risk of pharyngocutaneous fistula.

Method

This study was a retrospective revision of 171 patients treated with a total laryngectomy after radiotherapy or chemoradiotherapy.

Results

Pharyngocutaneous fistula occurred in 33 patients (19.3 per cent). Patients previously treated with chemoradiotherapy showed a non-significant higher pharyngocutaneous fistula rate compared with patients treated with radiotherapy (25.0 per cent vs 18.0 per cent; p = 0.455). Patients with a pharyngocutaneous fistula after chemoradiotherapy treatment required a surgical repair more frequently than patients treated with radiotherapy (p = 0.005). There were no significant differences in the pharyngocutaneous fistula rate depending on the time interval between radiotherapy and surgery (p = 0.580).

Conclusion

There were no differences in the pharyngocutaneous fistula rate after total laryngectomy depending on the previous treatment with radiotherapy or chemoradiotherapy, or depending on the interval between radiotherapy treatment and surgery.

Keywords

LaryngectomyCutaneous FistulaRadiotherapyChemoradiotherapy

Information

Type
Main Article
Information
The Journal of Laryngology & Otology , Volume 136 , Issue 11 , November 2022 , pp. 1027 - 1033
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2022. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of J.L.O. (1984) LIMITED

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Footnotes

Dr M Casasayas takes responsibility for the integrity of the content of the paper

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