Objective: To investigate the clinical significance of the micrometastasis of prelaryngeal lymph nodes in the patients with glottic carcinoma.
Method: In prelaryngeal lymph nodes from 26 patients with glottic carcinoma, cytokeratin 19 (CK19) mRNA was detected with reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), comparing with the routine histopathologic methods (HE staining).
Result: The positive expression of CK19 mRNA in prelaryngeal lymph nodes was detected in 8 patients (30.77%). While there was no positive finding by routine methods. The difference was significant (P < 0.05). In 8 cases with stage I glottic carcinoma, no micrometastasis in the prelaryngeal lymph node was found, and in 18 cases with stage II - VA glottic carcinoma, micrometastasis was found in 8 cases (44.44%) (P < 0.05).
Conclusion: The detection of prelaryngeal lymph nodes micrometastasis with RT-PCR is more sensitive than with the routine histopathologic methods. The study of micrometastasis of prelaryngeal lymph nodes may provide information for the clinical management of the patients with glottic carcinoma.