Intraepithelial Carcinoma (Cancer in Situ) of the Larynx

LARYNGEAL intraepithelial neoplastic growths without invasion, which are comparable to those found in many other mucous membranes and in the skin, have passed almost unnoticed by laryngologists and pathologists. Published information concerning them is almost nonexistent. Broders¹referred to one case in 1932, three others were reported by Brighton and Altmann,²and two solitary cases, each associated with infiltrating cancer, were described independently by Snitman³and by Brunner.⁴In Jackson and Jackson's textbook⁵the lesion is described, but is called a precancerous condition. The authors of this book note that it is often seen adjacent to an area of invasive cancer, and they cite one instance, on page 409, in which the cellular changes were such that the condition must be regarded as intraepithelial carcinoma. At the Presbyterian Hospital we have been impressed by the frequency with which this diagnosis has been made on biopsy