Systemic Inflammatory Markers In Vocal Cord Lesions

Benign laryngeal lesions are generally nodules, polyps, or cysts that form due to overuse of the voice or vocal cord trauma. Reinke's edema, also within this group, is a benign laryngeal condition characterized by the accumulation of gelatinous fluid in the superficial lamina propria of the vocal cords. It is usually associated with chronic irritation, particularly smoking, and is frequently seen in middle-aged individuals with a long history of tobacco use. Previous experimental studies have shown that cigarette smoke triggers inflammatory responses in vocal cord fibroblasts and increases the production of inflammatory mediators. The cellular and systemic inflammatory processes triggered by irritation due to chronic smoking are still not fully understood. In recent years, systemic inflammation markers derived from routine hemogram parameters have attracted attention as low-cost and reliable potential biomarkers in various inflammatory and neoplastic diseases. Neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), hemoglobin-eosinophil ratio (HEO), systemic immune-inflammation index (SII), and pan-immune-inflammation value (PIV), as well as more comprehensive indices reflecting both inflammatory and nutritional status such as Neutrophil-Albumin Ratio (NPAR) and HALP (Hemoglobin, Albumin, Platelet Ratio), are inexpensive and readily available indicators of systemic inflammation. However, a review of the literature reveals a lack of studies examining the relationship between benign and malignant laryngeal lesions and systemic inflammation through these comprehensive indices (PIV and NPAR). The aim of this study is to evaluate the levels of systemic inflammatory markers such as PIV, SII, and NPAR in patients with benign and premalignant laryngeal lesions and to determine the diagnostic accuracy of these values using ROC analysis.

Inclusion criteria

• Patients aged 18 years and older
• Patients with a diagnosis of vocal cord lesion via endoscopic or surgical means
• Patients with complete blood count and albumin data in their hospital records

Exclusion criteria

• Acute infection
• Autoimmune disease
• Other malignancy
• Steroid use
• Hematological disease
• Systemic inflammatory disease
• Missing laboratory data