Skip to main content
AAO-HNSF 2023 Annual Meeting & OTO Experience Main banner
Icon Legend
This session is not in your schedule.
This session is in your schedule. Click again to remove it.
Back
Rate ePoster

Rhinology/Allergy

(432) Rhinitis in Laryngectomy Patients

Monday, October 2, 2023
2:45 PM – 3:45 PM East Coast USA Time
Has Audio

    Presenting Author(s)

  • Amelia K. Ramsey, MD

    Resident
    University of Tennessee
    Memphis, Tennessee, United States

    • Co-Author(s)

  • Camron M. Davies, MD

    Resident Physician
    Loma Linda University Health
    Riverside, California, United States

  • Alex Darras

    Medical Student
    University of Tennessee Health Sciences Center
    Chattanooga, Tennessee, United States

    • Senior Author(s)

  • ES

    Eugene R. Sansoni, MD

    UTHSC Department of Otolaryngology Head-Neck Surgery, USA

Disclosure(s):
Amelia K. Ramsey, MD: No relevant relationships to disclose.
Camron M. Davies, MD: No relevant relationships to disclose.
Alex Darras: No relevant relationships to disclose.


Introduction: Following laryngectomy, patients experience reduced nasal airflow causing significant changes in nasal mucosa in secretory function and appearance and various studies have elicited that patients post-laryngectomy scored worse on symptoms of runny nose, nasal congestion, and nasal itching compared to their non-laryngectomy cohorts. Determining the incidence of development of rhinitis in patients that undergo laryngectomy can allow for improved counselling and expectation management by the physician prior to surgery.

Methods: A multi-institutional retrospective chart review of patients that have undergone laryngectomy were evaluated for worsening or new complaints of rhinitis after treatment. Other criteria will also be taken into account to determine if any effect on the development of rhinitis including if patients underwent adjuvant chemotherapy, radiation or both, had a prior history of sinonasal disease, or have had previous sinus or nasal surgery. Our study focuses on the incidence of development of disease as well determine associations that potentially can worsen nasal symptoms through the use of statistical analysis with Chi-squared testing.

Results: We performed a chart review on patients from 2015 to 2022 that underwent laryngectomy. There were a total of 138 patients with complete information. Of the 138 patients, 27% (37) complained of new onset rhinitis after laryngectomy. Interestingly, the development of rhinitis did not appear to be associated with chemotherapy before or after surgery or radiation before or after surgery. 68% of the 37 patients that developed rhinitis after surgery were Stage IV (according to the 8th edition).

Conclusions: Determining the rate of occurrence and possible associating factors for development of rhinitis after undergoing laryngectomy can improve patient expectations and counseling by the physician as well as discuss appropriate methods for treatment. Future investigations are needed to elicit the risk factors and etiology of the development of rhinitis in these population of patients.