OBJECTIVE: To determine if perineural invasion (PNI) of small nerves affects the outcome of @entity1 with @entity957 ( @entity957 ) of the upper aerodigestive tract. DESIGN: Retrospective clinicopathological study of @entity1 with at least 2 years of follow-up and with negative margins and no prior, synchronous, or metachronous @entity957 . SETTING: Academic otolaryngology department. @entity1 : One hundred forty-two @entity1 who had @entity1544 , oropharynx and hypopharynx, or larynx resected between 1981 and 1991. INTERVENTION: Surgery with or without adjuvant therapy. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Local recurrence was examined with respect to PNI, nerve diameter, and microvascular or microlymphatic invasion. Perineural invasion was correlated with lymph node @entity3 , extracapsular spread, and survival. RESULTS: Perineural invasion of nerves less than 1 mm in diameter was present in 74 @entity1 , lymphatic invasion in 53, and vascular invasion in 9. Perineural invasion was significantly associated with local recurrence (23% for PNI vs 9% for no PNI; P=. 02), and disease-specific mortality (54% mortality for PNI vs 25% for no PNI; P<.001). With @entity5 , PNI was associated with nodal @entity3 (73% vs 46%; P=.03). Perineural invasion was not associated with extracapsular spread (P=.47). Microvascular invasion, lymphatic invasion, and nerve diameter were not significantly related to local recurrence. CONCLUSIONS: Perineural invasion of small nerves is associated with an increased risk of local recurrence and cervical @entity3 and is, independent of extracapsular spread, a predictor of survival for @entity1 with @entity957 of the upper aerodigestive tract.

Perineural invasion in XXXX of the head and neck.

@entity1 :: ('9606', 'Species') :: ['patients', 'PATIENTS'] @entity5 :: ('MESH:D009369', 'Disease') :: ['extralaryngeal tumors'] @entity957 :: ('MESH:D002294', 'Disease') :: ['squamous cell carcinoma', 'SCC'] @entity1544 :: ('MESH:D018307', 'Disease') :: ['SCC of the oral cavity'] @entity3 :: ('MESH:D009362', 'Disease') :: ['metastasis']
@entity957 :: (MESH:D002294,Disease) :: ['squamous cell carcinoma']
