Clinical and cytomorphological alterations of nasal mucosa in laryngectomized patients.

A group of laryngectomized patients were rhinoscopically examined. The nasal mucosa was found to become thinner and change its colour over time. The nasal mucosa swabs from the same patients were cytologically examined at various time intervals following laryngectomy, revealing degenerative alterations of the multi-layered epithelium that occurred as a consequence of the nose exclusion from its function due to laryngectomy. Our experience has shown these degenerative changes to be completed within a two-year post operative period, as indicated by the fact that both the clinical and cytological findings obtained after that time point remained practically unchanged.