Extravascular Fibrin Deposits in Vocal Fold Polyps

Histological Changes in Surgical Specimens of Vocal Fold Polyps by Tissue Plasminogen Activator

Abstract

Glassy eosinophilic material is abundant in most vocal fold polyps and has been proved to be fibrin by electrical microscopy. Most of this material exists in the extravascular space, apart from the thrombus. Fresh surgical specimens of 11 human vocal fold polyps were divided into two pieces. One piece was preserved in a 0.5ml saline solution of tissue plasminogen activator (TPA, 50, 000U), with the other piece in 0.5ml saline as a control. After eight hours, the specimens were examined under a light microscope. Glassy eosinophilic material existed in eight control specimens but was scarcely observed in the TPA solution group. This study demonstrates that extravascular fibrin in vocal fold polyps can undergo fibrinolysis by TPA.