Leukoplakia in Lula’s larynx: understanding the president-elect’s vocal cord lesion

The problem is caused by tissue wear and tear and inflammation in the mucosal regions; PT underwent laryngoscopy

the president-elect Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) was hospitalized this Sunday 20 at the Sírio-Libanês hospital, in São Paulo, for a examination of the larynxwith biopsy, after discovering a leukoplakia – when there is an injury on the spot. Lula was discharged on Monday the 21st morning🇧🇷 The president had a cancerous tumor there in 2011.

According to the medical bulletin published by Sírio-Libanês, Lula underwent a “laryngoscopy to remove leukoplakia from the left vocal cord,” which showed “no neoplasticity” — when there is no possible cancerous tissue.

Leukoplakia was diagnosed on November 12 in a routine evaluation. At that time, imaging tests were done which showed complete remission of the tumor diagnosed to the president in 2011🇧🇷 “The rhinofibroscopy exam shows inflammatory changes resulting from vocal effort and a small area of ​​leukoplakia in the larynx”, reported Lula’s medical bulletin of November 12th.

What is Leukoplakia?

Leukoplakia is characterized by white plates which could appear in mucosal regionsIt’s inside mouth🇧🇷 larynx🇧🇷 pharynx or nose🇧🇷 They are injuries caused by wear and inflammation of the tissue of these organs, mainly due to smoking, reflux disease and alcohol consumption.

According to Luciana Miwa Nita Watanabe, director of the Brazilian Association of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery (ABORL-CCF), the condition can also be caused by a chronic inflammation caused by another disease🇧🇷 “If the person has a throat infection, for example, where they cough a lot and strain their vocal cords excessively, they may have leukoplakia,” says the specialist.

Over time, the layer of tissue in the region affected by leukoplakia is altered and, in severe cases, can develop into cancer. Therefore, the earlier the person identifies and treats the injury, the better.

“To identify leukoplakia, we have to do, initially, sighting tests. When it’s in the mouth, just for the patient to open their mouth, we can already see it, but in the larynx, we usually do a video laryngoscopy exam, where people use the optics in a video system to see part of the larynx,” explains Luciana.

Most cases of leukoplakia are of the pharynx and mouth. Men over 60 are most affected by the disease.

Symptoms

Leukoplakia, in general, can be silent. For this reason, medical oncologist Aline Lauda, ​​​​​​member of the Head and Neck Cancer Committee of the Brazilian Society of Clinical Oncology (SBOC), recommends that people who smoke for a long time, suffer from reflux disease and/or drink frequently, to visit an otolaryngologist every one to two years.

In some cases, symptoms such as hoarseness, throat clearing, burning, pain, and discomfort at the site may be a warning. People who have smoked for a long time and have a change in their voice, for example, should seek medical attention as soon as possible to carry out the necessary tests.

“It’s important for people to pay attention to these symptoms and most importantly, avoid cigarettes or stop smoking so the condition doesn’t progress into a malignant tumor,” says Aline. In the case of people with reflux disease, it is necessary to treat the initial disease.

Treatment

Treatment of leukoplakia varies from case to case and requires specialist medical evaluation. Surgery is usually done to remove the lesion along with a biopsy, as was done in Lula, but this depends on the size of the leukoplakia and its location.

“Treatment ranges from the use of drugs with the aim of reducing local inflammation, to low- or high-complexity surgery,” explains Luciana.

In cases of malignant tumors, Aline says treatment is delicate, because you can’t “treat too much or too little.”

“The vocal cord region, for example, is a very delicate region, as we cannot perform a procedure that permanently compromises the patient’s voice, but neither can we allow the tumor to grow,” says the doctor.

According to Aline, oral and pharyngeal cancers tend not to spread easily to other parts of the body.

🇧🇷The best content in your email for free. Choose your favorite Terra newsletter. Click here!

Source: Terra

Ben

Ben Stock is a lifestyle journalist and author at Gossipify. He writes about topics such as health, wellness, travel, food and home decor. He provides practical advice and inspiration to improve well-being, keeps readers up to date with latest lifestyle news and trends, known for his engaging writing style, in-depth analysis and unique perspectives.