Contact telescopy reveals blood vessel alterations of vocal fold mucosa in Reinke's edema.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate contact telescopy findings for estimation of blood vessel changes in vocal fold mucosa in patients with Reinke's edema. Histological features significant for diagnosis of microvascular vocal fold alteration were correlated with clinical findings.


METHODS
In 80 patients with Reinke's edema, laryngoscopy and video-telescopy image analysis of vocal folds were performed. Vocal fold mucosa biopsies were histologically analyzed and compared with contact telescopy findings. An interesting aspect of vocal fold microcirculation found both by contact telescopy imiging and by histological specimens was described.


RESULTS
Contact telescopy in vivo revealed different forms of pathological blood vessel networks with unusual appearance of loops or branching. Some dilated varicose vascular channels had very thin walls, and within atypical capillaries, partial erythrocyte accumulation was found. Details of blood flow are also visible, showing multidirectional and discontinuous blood flow in neighboring vessels.


CONCLUSIONS
The noninvasive contact telescope technique is very useful as an additional diagnostic tool for defining a condition of a subepithelial Reinke's space in a very short period of time. The great advantage of contact telescopy is systematic in vivo and in situ observation of microvascular details in the vocal folds. The contact technique allows dynamic follow-up of the microcirculation in Reinke's edema as well as simultaneous consultation of a pathologist in the operating theater.
Jovanovic
Milan B
MB
Department of Otorhinolaryngology with Maxillofacial and Cervical Pathology, Clinical Hospital Centre Zemun, Zemun, Serbia and Mentenegro. majov@eunet.yu
Mulutinovic
Zoran
Z
Perovic
Jelena
J
Grubor
Andrej
A
Milenkovic
Sanja
S
Malobabic
Slobodan
S
D001706:Biopsy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007819:Laryngeal Edema / Q000473:pathology*; D007828:Laryngoscopy / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008833:Microcirculation / Q000502:physiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D014827:Vocal Cords / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000473:pathology*