Reinke's Edema: From the Operating Theater to Office‐Based Blue Laser Treatment

OBJECTIVES: To compare voice-related quality of life and endoscopic outcomes in patients with Reinke's edema treated with an office-based 445-nm blue laser versus microlaryngoscopy under general anesthesia. METHODS: Sixty-three patients underwent office-based laser (OBL) treatment and 40 patients underwent microlaryngoscopy under general anesthesia (GA) for Reinke's edema at a tertiary laryngological center between 2018 and 2025. Voice Handicap Index-10 (VHI-10) scores and endoscopic grading were assessed before and after treatment. Within-group comparisons used the paired t-test and the Wilcoxon signed rank test; between-group comparisons used the Welch t-test. RESULTS: In the OBL group, VHI-10 scores improved from 15.0 ± 8.8 to 2.0 ± 3.5 (p < 0.001), and 43 of 52 patients (82.7%) achieved complete regression of edema (grade 0). Mean operative time was 6.9 ± 3.1 min, significantly shorter than in the GA group (37.0 ± 17.1 min; p < 0.001). In the GA group, VHI-10 scores improved from 19.5 ± 10.7 to 5.1 ± 6.7 (p < 0.001), with complete regression in 16 of 20 evaluable patients (80.0%). Eleven OBL patients (21.2%) required retreatment (maximum three sessions). No adverse events were recorded. CONCLUSIONS: Office-based 445-nm blue laser treatment was associated with significant improvements in voice-related quality of life and stroboscopic outcomes, together with significantly shorter operative time than microlaryngoscopy under general anesthesia. These findings support the use of office-based approaches in selected patients with Reinke's edema as a sound alternative to conventional treatment under general anesthesia.