In‐office biopsy of upper airway lesions: Safety, tolerance, and effect on time to treatment

2014/11/06 by Dylan Lippert, Matthew R. Hoffman, Phat Dang +3 · 13 citations
Medicine · #Airway #Biopsy #Demographics #Larynx #Medicine #Radiology #Retrospective cohort study #Sinusitis and nasal conditions #Stage (stratigraphy) #Surgery #Tracheal and airway disorders #Voice and Speech Disorders

paper · doi:10.1002/lary.25007

openalex publication_date 2014/11/06 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28

Abstract

OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS: Definitive tissue diagnosis for lesions warranting biopsy is shifting from the operating room to the office. Safety, tolerance, factors related to successful biopsy, and time to treatment are not well-defined. METHODS: Retrospective review of 116 patients undergoing in-office biopsy of oropharynx, larynx, or hypopharynx were included. Logistic regression determined if demographics, site, T-stage, or approach (transoral/transnasal) were related to success. Time to definitive treatment was also analyzed. RESULTS: Ninety-two transnasal and 24 transoral biopsies were performed on 73 laryngeal, 35 oropharyngeal, and 8 hypopharyngeal lesions. Of those, 97 of 116 diagnoses were made in-office. There were no complications; two patients did not tolerate the procedure. Success was not related to age (P = 0.374), site (P = 0.527), T-stage (P = 0.587), or approach (P = 0.566). Time to treatment was 24.2 ± 13.9 days with successful office biopsy and 48.8 ± 49.4 days without. CONCLUSIONS: High procedural completion rate was observed across patients, sites, and approaches. All patients should be considered for in-office biopsy, a more time- and cost-effective option leading to earlier treatment.

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