Frequency and histopathological type of laryngeal tumours at the University Clinics of Kinshasa

Background and objective: Laryngeal tumours are common and affect people of all ages. The objective of this study was to determine the frequency, clinical and histopathological profile of laryngeal tumours at the University Clinics of Kinshasa (CUK). Methodology: This is a descriptive and analytical documentary study conducted over an 11-year period from 2013 to 2023, including all the records of patients followed for histologically documented laryngeal tumours. Results: 105 patients with laryngeal tumours were included, among whom 27 (25.7%) had benign tumours and 78 (74.3%) had malignant tumours . The mean age of the patients was 55.9 ± 16.5 years with extremes of 5 and 79 years. Male gender predominated with a proportion of approximately 3/4 of the series. The median consultation time was 12 months with extremes of 1 and 60 months. All patients with laryngeal tumours reported dysphonia. Inspiratory dyspnea was reported by 92.3% of patients with malignant tumors and 74.1% of patients with benign tumours. Approximately 2/3 of malignant tumours and ¾ of benign tumors were located in the glottic area. The most common histological types were squamous cell carcinoma (89.7%) for malignant tumours and papilloma (85.2%) for benign tumours. Conclusion: Laryngeal tumours are more common in adult males and dominated by malignant tumors, hence the need for awareness on preventive measures.