Approaches for the surgical treatment of tumors of the tongue base

• Published in: Stomato-pharyngology Vol. 11; no. 2; pp. 207 - 213
• Main Author: Nameki, Hideo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Japanese
• Published: Japan Society of Stomato-pharyngology 28.02.1999
• Subjects: lateral pharyngotomy; mandibular swing approach; tumor of the tongue base
• ISSN: 0917-5105; 1884-4316
• DOI: 10.14821/stomatopharyngology1989.11.207

The key for the surgical treatment of tumors of the tongue base is to select the optimum approach to the pharyngeal portion of the tongue. Three approaches to the tongue base where the tumor was located were shown in the VTR symposium at the 11th annual meeting of the Japan Society of Somato-pharyngology. One approach was an oropharyngeal microsurgical enucleation with CO2 laser irradiation for a branchiogenic cyst at the valeculla. The others were a lateral pharyngotomy with a pull-through procedure of the tongue for SCC of the tongue base and a mandibular swing approach for an oropharyngeal carcinoma that recurred at the tonsil and extended to the pharyngeal portion of the tongue and the posterior wall of the pharynx. The complete removal of lesions at the pharyngeal portion of the tongue is highly important to selecting an optimum approach that can gain a wide operative field and to observing and resecting the tongue base from the lateral view, especially in cases of malignant lesions.