title: Exudative laryngeal diseases of Reinke's space: a clinicohistopathological framing.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To establish the relationship between the macroscopic and histologic diagnosis of nodules, polyps, and Reinke's edema of the true vocal folds and to propose a clearer clinical definition of them in the hope of settling the difference of opinion between otolaryngologists and pathologists.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective study
  
  
  METHODS
  Otolaryngology Department of "La Sapienza" University of Rome.
  
  
  METHODS
  The pathologic reports of 203 patients subjected to direct laryngoscopy were studied.
  
  
  METHODS
  Examination of the histologic specimen of the epithelium and the chorion.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Microscopic examination revealed a high percentage of normal epithelium both for nodules (33.79%) and polyps (40.65%). No dysplasia was observed, whereas dysplasia was present in 10 cases of Reinke's edema (7 laryngeal intraepithelial neoplasia 1 and 3 laryngeal intraepithelial neoplasia II). Five different stages of histologic progression resulted from the examination of the chorion in both nodules and polyps.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our suggestion is to consider polyps as "older" lesions and nodules as "younger" lesions. A polyp may be defined as an abnormal unilateral growth of vocal folds, a nodule as a bilateral growth situated between the anterior and medium third of the vocal fold, and Reinke's edema as a bilateral wound that extends to the whole of the true vocal fold.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Policlinico Umberto I, "La Sapienza" University, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Dario
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Marcotullio
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Magliulo
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pietrunti
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Suriano
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002823:Chorion / Q000473:pathology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005122:Exudates and Transudates / Q000166:cytology*; D005260:Female; D006391:Hemangioma / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D006818:Hyalin / Q000166:cytology* / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D007818:Laryngeal Diseases / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology*; D007819:Laryngeal Edema / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology*; D007820:Laryngeal Mucosa / Q000473:pathology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D007822:Laryngeal Neoplasms / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology*; D007828:Laryngoscopy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014827:Vocal Cords / Q000473:pathology* / Q000648:ultrastructure*