Histopathological findings in biopsied leukoplakic lesions among patients with Reinke’s edema undergoing office-based laser therapy: a case series

BACKGROUND: Reinke's edema (RE) is a benign disease of the vocal folds. There are no reports on the prevalence of dysplasia in patients with RE undergoing office-based laser therapy. AIMS/OBJECTIVE: To investigate the prevalence of dysplasia in patients with RE who underwent office-based laser therapy. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The medical records of patients with RE who underwent office-based laser therapy between January 2023 and May 2026 were reviewed. Those who had mucosal lesions, leukoplakia, that were biopsied prior to laser therapy were included in this study. Demographic data included age, sex, smoking history, reflux history, and type of RE using the Yonekawa classification. RESULTS: The medical records of 74 patients with RE were reviewed. Twelve patients (8 females and 4 males) met the inclusion criteria and were included in this study. The mean age was 59.59 ± 7.87 years. A total of 14 RE lesions were biopsied. The total prevalence of dysplasia was 50%. Low grade and high-grade dysplasia were noted in 4 and 3 out of the 14 specimens, respectively. CONCLUSION AND SIGNIFICANCE: A substantial proportion of patients with RE undergoing office-based therapy had dysplastic mucosal changes. This should alert to the need for diligent examination and follow-up.