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Review
. 2018 Aug 27;16(1):176.
doi: 10.1186/s12957-018-1480-9.

Use of erbium laser in the treatment of persistent post-radiotherapy laryngeal edema: a case report and review of the literature

Aris I Giotakis  1 , Claus Pototschnig  2
Affiliations
Review

Use of erbium laser in the treatment of persistent post-radiotherapy laryngeal edema: a case report and review of the literature

Aris I Giotakis et al. World J Surg Oncol. .

Abstract

Background: Post-radiotherapy laryngeal edema may affect the patients' quality of life, leading to repeated treatment attempts, which include massage/physical therapy, inhalations, and/or tracheostomy.

Case presentation: We report the surgical treatment approach of a 69-year-old patient with severe persistent post-radiotherapy laryngeal edema. After multiple inpatient admissions and failed conservative therapy, we used the erbium laser to treat the arytenoid edema. After repeated procedures, no complications were observed. The patient remained free of symptoms after 30 months of follow-up.

Conclusions: The authors provide an easy-to-perform, safe, and quick surgical technique without non-severe or severe complications. Using this technique repeatedly, complications from excessive thermal damage with CO2 laser or unpleasant solutions such as tracheostomy can be avoided.

Keywords: Edema; Erbium; Laryngeal; Laser microsurgery; Post-radiotherapy.

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Conflict of interest statement

Ethics approval and consent to participate

Not applicable

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Obtained

Competing interests

Both authors declare that they do have no competing interests.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Upper: pictures before any interventions. Massive bilateral similar arytenoid edema (in respiratory position) causing dyspnea. Bottom: 30 months after the last surgery with erbium laser (in same respiratory position as preoperatively). No contact between anterior parts of the arytenoid area (in comparison to preoperatively) after treatment of both arytenoid areas with the erbium laser. Obvious difference in the edema of the anterior-posterior axis of the arytenoid area in comparison to preoperatively
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Pictures during surgery of the right arytenoid area with an erbium laser. Left upper: before the initiation of the procedure. The position of the microlaryngoscopy tube exposes the right arytenoid area; right upper: during “bombardment” of the cranial surface of the right arytenoid area with erbium laser to achieve a shrinking effect; left bottom: post-treatment picture. “Bombardment” of the cranial surface of the right arytenoid results in the production of white areas. The red points represent the holes created to empty the edema fluids; right bottom: after releasing the tension
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Pictures during surgery of the left arytenoid area with an erbium laser. Upper: before the initiation of the procedure. Obvious difference in the edema of the left non-treated swollen arytenoid in comparison to the already treated right arytenoid area. The right arytenoid area is healed after surgery 3 weeks ago. No scarring, synechiae, or webs are observed; Bottom: post-treatment picture. “Bombardment” of the cranial surface of the right arytenoid results in white areas. The red points represent the holes created to empty the edema fluids
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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