✅ Why do polyps appear in the larynx and how to treat them

Polyps in the throat have many manifestations; the most commonly diagnosed are benign neoplasms located on the tonsils and vocal cords. The period of polyp growth can last up to several years, so when they appear, you should contact a specialist to undergo diagnostics and determine treatment tactics.

When patients come to the Yusupov Hospital with any symptoms of this disease, the oncologist conducts an examination and prescribes diagnostic procedures to identify the shape, size and location of polyps. After examination, polyps in the throat are quickly and painlessly removed by surgeons.

Causes of development of polyps in the throat

Experts have identified many factors that provoke the development of polyps in the throat, but the causes of this disease have not been fully studied. Polyps on the throat ligaments, tonsils and larynx develop as a result of the following reasons:

allergic reactions, the source of which cannot be eliminated;
regular overstrain of the vocal cords when singing, shouting, whispering;
drinking alcoholic beverages and coffee that irritate the mucous membrane;
smoking;
inhalation of heavy metal impurities during work;
hereditary predisposition;
dysfunction of the thyroid gland.

An oncologist at the Yusupov Hospital, when a patient comes in with this problem, conducts an examination and determines whether it is dangerous to leave a polyp in the throat unattended, and what methods are necessary to treat it.

Polyps in the larynx: main symptoms, causes, treatment and prognosis

The mucous membrane of the larynx often undergoes various abnormal changes. Polyps are a common phenomenon, most often affecting middle-aged men. In most cases, formations do not in any way affect a person’s quality of life, but sometimes such defects lead to changes in the voice, so it is important to know the reasons for their development and treatment methods.

What it is

Polyps in the throat are small benign neoplasms that appear on the mucous membrane of the organ. Most often they affect the ligaments and larynx. The growth consists of connective tissue and minor fluid.

Despite the fact that men over 35 years of age are at risk, the pathology also develops in women, depending on the type of professional activity experiencing such stress. Therefore, the larynx is affected in most singers.

This section of the throat is extremely susceptible to stress, harmful household and industrial factors. The polyp rises above the mucous membrane, hanging on a stalk.

The growths are classified as benign formations, since they do not damage adjacent tissue structures, are not capable of metastasizing, and are not prone to relapse after removal. However, experts do not consider polyps to be real tumors, since the pathology represents excessive growth of the tissues of the ligaments.

The growths do not have an acute onset. The defects progress gradually, most often being located in the anterior part of the ligaments, since this area is most damaged. Permanent injuries lead to deterioration of blood circulation, the development of stagnation, and the occurrence of an inflammatory process.

Typically, a polypous lesion takes three months to form. With laryngeal polyps, the tonsils do not change. Despite their slow growth and benign nature, the growths in rare cases are prone to malignant transformation.

Causes

The reason why the disease develops is constant stress due to screaming, whispering, singing, so singers, teachers, and workers in noisy industries often suffer from the pathology. Polyps can also arise due to the following factors:

In the presence of chronic inflammatory processes in the larynx.
Due to smoking, ingestion of household chemicals, drinking coffee, alcoholic beverages.
Due to an allergic reaction. This happens if the allergen is not eliminated.
Due to problems with the thyroid gland.
With regular inhalation of impurities of heavy metals and other harmful substances.

Particular attention should be paid to genetic disposition. If at least one of the parents had a polyp, the likelihood of developing the disease increases significantly. However, all the causes of the disease have not yet been precisely identified, so it is important to be examined by an otolaryngologist every year.

Clinical manifestations

The clinical picture of polypous lesions of the larynx is poor. Most often, the patient suffers from unclear voice, deterioration of tonality, and diplophonia. The last symptom is characterized by bifurcation of tones when pronouncing sounds. With a large growth that appears briefly between the folds, a person loses the ability to control his voice.

In rare cases, tumor-like neoplasms are manifested by periodic irritating cough, difficulty breathing, and a feeling of a sore throat.

In this case, the patient does not experience pain. An increase in temperature and the appearance of pain are not characteristic of polyps, but indicate the addition of an infectious lesion.

Almost always a single growth occurs, but the development of several defects is possible. Small formations do not impair breathing, but as the disease progresses the situation becomes more complicated.

Polyps in the larynx are benign neoplasms that arise as a result of regular overload, heredity, harmful work, smoking and abuse of coffee and alcoholic beverages. The main sign of the pathology is hoarseness of the voice, which worsens as the growth increases.

The pinkish or red polyp has a jelly-like consistency, has a round shape, a smooth surface without ulcers. Sometimes the growth hangs on a thin stalk. The surface of a large tumor-like focus is covered with papillae. Changes in the palatine tonsil indicate the presence of concomitant tonsillitis, which is in no way related to polyps in the larynx.

Treatment

Proper treatment includes appropriate therapy. Removing the load on the larynx and ligaments will not get rid of the problem, but it will restore the voice and lead to a reduction in the growth.

Therefore, if a pathology is detected, you should not use social communication for some time. Conservative treatment is not used, as it will not eliminate the polyp. To do this, surgery is performed under local anesthesia.

Endoscopic removal

This procedure is carried out using laryngeal forceps and a special loop. The disadvantage of endoscopic surgery is the possibility of getting rid of only a small tumor-like formation.

Electrocoagulation, laser destruction

These two types are minimally invasive and safe. The defect is removed by cauterization with laser beams or electrical impulses. Modern methods eliminate bleeding and damage to adjacent tissues, but are expensive.

Cryodestruction

Cauterization of a polyp with liquid nitrogen is used to completely exclude malignancy of the formation. It is important that during any operation the growth is removed completely, otherwise a relapse will soon occur. After any elimination procedure, the pathological formation is subject to histological examination to exclude a malignant tumor.

Before surgical manipulation, the patient must stop smoking, drinking alcohol, follow a special diet prescribed by a specialist, and avoid contact with aerosols and dry hot air.

It is also necessary to treat caries, tonsillitis and other chronic infectious diseases. To speed up recovery, you should unload the ligaments for a while and regularly humidify the air in the house for several weeks.

Likely consequences

Polyps in the larynx do not manifest themselves for a long time, as they slowly increase. In most cases, tumor-like defects do not cause discomfort, do not impair the quality of life and are not dangerous to humans.

However, if the growth reaches a large size, then hoarseness occurs and the patient ceases to control his voice. In advanced cases, a person completely loses his voice until the polyp is surgically removed. Sometimes inflammatory processes also develop, which also cause many unpleasant symptoms.

If the tumor is large, it can make breathing difficult and cause acute attacks of suffocation.

It is extremely rare, unlike tumors and cysts, that polyps transform into an oncological disease, which, in the absence of timely treatment, is dangerous due to damage to neighboring tissues and organs and death.

Conservative treatment of growths in the larynx is not used, so the problem is eliminated by several surgical methods. The main thing is to completely remove the formation, otherwise there is a risk of relapse. After surgery, it is necessary to conduct a histological examination to exclude cancer.

Forecast

The prognosis for throat polyps is almost always favorable. Small growths are asymptomatic, while large tumor-like defects can be eliminated in several ways.

Unlike cystic neoplasms, polyps are not prone to recurrence, so eliminating the cause of the disease and completely removing the defect solves the problem forever. It is extremely rare that the pathology becomes malignant, which significantly complicates the situation. In this case, it is important to remove the tumor in time and prevent metastasis.

It is easier to prevent polyps than to fight them for months or years. As preventive measures, it is necessary to undergo an examination by an otolaryngologist once a year, stop smoking and drinking alcoholic beverages. It is also important to humidify the air in the house and use respiratory masks in hazardous work environments.

Source: https://onkologia.ru/dobrokachestvennyie-opuholi/dyhatelnaya-sistema/polipy-v-gortani/

Polyps in the throat: photos and descriptions of tumors

Polyps in the throat, the symptoms of which depend on the size and location of the tumor, are formed by connective tissue, cellular elements and a small amount of fluid. Polyps are located in the throat on a thick stalk; they can have a white, pink or gray tint.

Some people who exhibit symptoms of this disease look at the laryngeal polyp in the photo and study the characteristic signs. Oncologists and otolaryngologists recommend not to carry out independent treatment of tumors, as it can cause chronic sore throat, infectious processes and irreversible changes in the voice.

The Yusupov Hospital uses modern methods for treating laryngeal polyps, which have successfully proven themselves in world medical practice. Highly qualified specialists remove the laryngeal polyp painlessly.

Clinical manifestations

To justify even a preliminary diagnosis, you need to evaluate all the symptoms of the disease. They include not only the patient's complaints, but also signs that can be identified through an objective examination.

Symptoms

How do polyps in the throat manifest themselves? Symptoms in an adult are few, including:

unclear voice; changing the characteristics of the tone of the voice; phenomenon of diplophony.

Diplophony refers to the splitting of tones during the pronunciation of a particular sound. This occurs because polypous formation leads to the loss of the vocal cord's ability to vibrate in a coordinated manner in all parts.

On average, the duration of formation of a polypous lesion is about three months. The anterior and posterior sections vibrate at unequal frequencies, and the person essentially loses control over his voice - especially if the polyp reaches a large size. Diplophony is also explained by the short-term wedging of a tumor-like formation between the vocal folds.

Very rarely, symptoms such as intermittent coughing, difficulty breathing, and irritation in the throat are observed. Voice disturbances with a laryngeal polyp are not accompanied by pain, which is an important distinguishing feature. The appearance of pain and/or fever may indicate the occurrence of a concomitant infectious process, but is not typical for a polyp.

The leading symptom of the presence of a polyp in the larynx is hoarseness. Voice production disorders worsen as the size of the tumor lesion increases.

Although a single polyp is most common, the presence of several growths on one or both sides cannot be ruled out. A polyp in the throat in an adult usually does not lead to respiratory problems, but if it increases significantly, the risk exists.

How do throat polyps appear in childhood? In most cases, there is a single tumor-like formation, which is small in size and grows very slowly. This determines the absence of bright manifestations and severe violations. There is no cough, no sore throat, no sore throat, the tonsil on the affected side is not affected. Often the only symptom is hoarseness.

Objective signs

In both children and adults, polyps have similar objective characteristics:

gelatinous, jelly-like, watery consistency, round shape; the presence of a leg or, conversely, its absence and a wide base; smooth surface without deformations or ulcerations; pink, red, whitish-gray color.

In adult patients they can be bluish, and in children they can be transparent at the beginning of development and bright pink, purplish-red later. The consistency of the polyp depends on how long ago it was formed. If the tumor-like focus is large, papillae are visible on its surface. There will be changes in the tonsil (usually the palatine) only with a concomitant acute process (tonsillitis), which has no pathogenetic connection with the presence of polypous growths.

Polyps in the throat: symptoms of the disease

Symptoms of polyps in the throat can be combined with manifestations of the underlying disease. Without exacerbation under the influence of negative factors, polyps do not appear in any way, so they may not be detected by patients for a long time.

With increasing polyps and frequent trauma, tears may occur, which worsen the patient's condition. A laryngeal polyp may have the following manifestations:

pain when the vocal cords are tense;
hoarseness of voice;
feeling of a foreign summer;
increased salivation;
cough mixed with blood;
pain syndrome in the neck area.

The Yusupov Hospital employs experienced oncologists who, when examining patients who complain, identify tumors in the throat. When visiting an oncology clinic, a patient can quickly and comfortably undergo an examination without queues at a convenient time by appointment.

Clinic of formations in the throat

Polyps on the gums, on the tonsils, on the visible back wall of the pharynx, and along the edges of the throat can be found independently when examined in the mirror. The formations have a clear contour and rise above the rest of the surface. The initial stage of formation is characterized by a red spot with a clear, even outline. A growth in the larynx, upper or lower part of the pharynx, or on the glottis can only be detected using an endoscope.

Symptoms in 8 cases out of 10 do not appear at all. With an inconvenient location and large size of the formation, the following signs of pathology appear:

Sore throat – rarely, with accompanying inflammation;
Problems with breathing, it may become noisy and wheezing;
Change in voice, hoarseness;
Tonal splitting of sound;
Inability to speak;
Soreness, cough, sometimes with blood;
Difficulty swallowing;
Feeling of a foreign body, a lump in the throat.

Attention! The most striking symptoms are caused by polyps that form on the vocal cords.

Polyp in the throat: treatment

Modern specialists offer various ways to treat polyps in the throat. Drug therapy can improve the general condition of the patient, but it does not ensure the resorption of polyps. If a patient is found to have polyps in the throat, the symptoms and treatment of which depend on the size of the tumor, the oncologist at the Yusupov Hospital selects the most gentle and effective methods for eliminating them.

Polyps localized on the mucous membrane of the tonsils, vocal cords and larynx require surgical removal. For small polyps in the throat, minimally invasive techniques are used, allowing the patient to return to active life on the day of surgery.

If treated incorrectly, there is a high risk of relapse. To eliminate tumors in the throat, you should contact highly qualified specialists at the Oncology Clinic of the Yusupov Hospital, who will perform high-quality surgical removal of the polyp.

Diagnostics

Laryngeal polyps are an area of study in otolaryngology and oncology. Suspicion of polypous lesions in the throat arises during a typical examination of the patient’s pharynx, as well as during examination of the throat with special instruments.

The main research method is endoscopic laryngoscopy, but municipal medical institutions still use mirror laryngoscopy.

Laryngoscopy allows:

Assess the condition of the mucous membranes deep in the larynx, the structure of the polypous lesion;
Take a biopsy sample for subsequent endoscopic examination if the presence of malignant cells is suspected.

Histology is often prescribed after the polyp removal procedure.

To assess the function of the patient's vocal capabilities, use:

Electroglottography - assessment of the mobility of the vocal cords;
Stroboscopy is the study of the movement of the true vocal cords using a light beam;
Phonography is a method of recording extracted sound waves.

For chronic inflammatory diseases, general clinical tests of blood, urine, and feces are prescribed to exclude various concomitant diseases.

Removal of a polyp in the throat: price

The cost of surgical treatment of a polyp in the throat depends on the method of intervention, stage and other factors. The price of this service is determined after a comprehensive diagnosis in accordance with the current price list at the Yusupov Hospital. Each patient has the opportunity to receive complete information about the scope of treatment measures and their cost.

For patients diagnosed with throat polyps, oncologists develop an individual treatment plan. The key to high quality medical services provided to patients at the Yusupov Hospital is an integrated approach to solving this problem.

Author

Bibliography

ICD-10 (International Classification of Diseases)
Yusupov Hospital
Cherenkov V. G. Clinical oncology. — 3rd ed. - M.: Medical book, 2010. - 434 p. — ISBN 978-5-91894-002-0.
Shirokorad V.I., Makhson A.N., Yadykov O.A. The state of oncourological care in Moscow // Oncourology. - 2013. - No. 4. - P. 10-13.
Volosyanko M.I. Traditional and natural methods of preventing and treating cancer, Aquarium, 1994
John Niederhuber, James Armitage, James Doroshow, Michael Kastan, Joel Tepper Abeloff's Clinical Oncology - 5th Edition, eMEDICAL BOOKS, 2013

Forecast

The prognosis for laryngeal polyps varies. Since they progress slowly, they do not pose an immediate threat to health, much less life. But the tendency of polypous growths to malignancy worsens the overall prognosis. To prevent malignant degeneration, such polyps should be removed even if the patient does not complain of any discomfort. A laryngeal polyp that is radically removed rarely recurs.

Important

With a laryngeal polyp, self-medication and treatment with folk remedies - gargling with “healing” solutions, “warming” the neck, and others – are strictly prohibited. At best, they will not help get rid of the pathology; at worst, they can provoke its malignant degeneration.

Kovtonyuk Oksana Vladimirovna, medical observer, surgeon, consultant doctor

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