The Anterior Commissure Technique of Partial Laryngectomy

A DISTINCTION must be drawn between two types of vocal cord carcinoma involving the anterior commissure. The first and more common type is simply an extension of a tumor of one cord on to a few millimeters of the opposite cord. The second type of lesion, less common but more extensive, is one in which the greater portion of one vocal cord is replaced by a tumor which traverses the anterior commissure and infiltrates one third to one half of the opposite cord (Fig 1). It should be made clear that we are not here concerned with superficial carcinoma, or carcinoma in situ, which responds readily to radiotherapy. Lesions of the first or more limited variety may be adequately dealt with by bilateral thyrotomy or frontolateral techniques of partial laryngectomy which are described by Clerf,1Kemler,2Robert-Leroux,3and Norris.4The resection consists of a bilateral thyrotomy,