[Measurement of microvessel density in laryngeal carcinoma and its clinical significance].
OBJECTIVE
To determine the microvessel density (MVD) in laryngeal carcinoma and its clinical significance.


METHODS
Thirty-eight tumor specimens were selected from laryngeal cancer patients from January, 1994 to March, 1996. Histological sections of the tumors were stained immunohistochemically for factor VIII. Using light microscopy, we counted microvessels per 400 x field in the most active areas of tumor angiogenesis.


RESULTS
1. The tumor blood vessels, composed of only one layer of endothelium were mainly distributed heterogeneously in the interstitial tissue of laryngeal carcinoma with irregular lumen, poorly developed structure. 2. The MVD in the cancer tissues were statistically higher than that in peritumoral tissues (P < 0.01). 3. The MVD in the cancer tissues in group of patients with metastasis to cervical lymphonodes were statistically higher than in group without metastasis (P < 0.01), the MVD in the cancer tissues in group of advanced cases (III, IV stages) were statistically higher than that in group of early cases (I, II stages, P < 0.01). 4. There was no statistically difference in MVD in the cancer tissue between supraglottic and glottic laryngeal carcinoma patients (P > 0.05). 5. There was no statistically difference in MVD in the cancer tissue among the G1, G2 and G3 group (P > 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
The laryngeal cancer blood vessels have some characteristics that don't appear in normal vessels. It is suggested that tumor angiogenesis can promote tumor growth and metastasis and MVD may be a new prognostic indicator of laryngeal carcinoma.
Zhang
L
L
Department of Otolaryngology, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan 250012.
Luan
X
X
Pan
X
X
Tian
X
X
Xu
F
F
Liu
D
D
Lei
D
D
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000556:secondary; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007822:Laryngeal Neoplasms / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic / Q000473:pathology*; D011379:Prognosis