Korean J Otolaryngol-Head Neck Surg.  2000 Apr;43(4):406-410.

Retropharyngeal Lymph Node Dissection

• Choi EC
• Lim YC
• Koh YW
• Hong WP

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Little information about the surgical anatomy and technique for retropharyngeal node dissection has been published. The purpose of this study was to review our surgical technique and results of retropharyngeal lymph node dissection.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Eleven advanced oropharyngeal and hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma patients who had been treated with resection of primary tumor and standard neck dissection including retropharyngeal lymph node dissection from 1994 to 1999 were evaluated retrospectively.
RESULTS
One of 11 patients had positive retropharyngeal lymph node. The surgical technique used for retropharyngeal lymph node dissection were total laryngopharyngectomy, mandibular splitting or mandibulectomy approach. There was no specific complication of retropharyngeal lymph node dissection except one case of Horner's syndrome.
CONCLUSION
Retropharyngeal lymph node dissection was a safe procedure, bet it required total laryngopharyngectomy, madibular splitting or mandibulectomy approach. It was possible to remove retropharyngeal lymph made en-bloc with primary tumor in most cases.

Keyword

Neck dissection; Surgical technique; Surgical anatomy; Retropharyngeal lymph node; Hypopharyngeal cancer; Oropharyngeal cancer

MeSH Terms

Carcinoma, Squamous Cell
Horner Syndrome
Humans
Hypopharyngeal Neoplasms
Lymph Node Excision*
Lymph Nodes*
Neck Dissection
Oropharyngeal Neoplasms
Retrospective Studies