Is it Always Laryngopharyngeal Reflux? How Voice Disorders Can Manifest as LPR

Introduction: Laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR) manifests with a constellation of common throat symptoms and inconclusive signs on laryngoscopic exam. It is a diagnosis, often made clinically, that can lead to prescriptions of proton pump inhibitors that are unnecessary and potentially harmful. Glottic insufficiency (GI) and the accompanying hyperfunctional laryngeal behaviors can also present with similar, common throat complaints that may or may not include a qualitative change to the voice. Methods: This is a reflection article. It is written to summarize, explain, and support with evidence the opinion of the author on the topic of how symptoms of voice disorders can easily be mistaken for symptoms of LPR. The offered reflection is based on his experience, research and the available literature. Reflection: This article intends to explore the similarities between GI and LPR, how to ultimately differentiate them and how to approach treatment with a broader differential diagnosis. Conclusion: LPR and GI can present with identical, vague throat, and voice symptoms. Empiric medication trials, behavioral interventions and objective laryngovideostroboscopy, impedance-based reflux, and esophageal motility testing may all be needed, sometimes in a trial and error fashion, to correctly diagnose and treat a patient's symptoms.

Introducción: El reflujo laríngeo-faríngeo (LPR, por sus siglas en inglés) se manifiesta con una serie de síntomas comunes en la garganta y signos no concluyentes en el examen larinoscópico. Es un diagnóstico que a menudo se realiza clínicamente y que puede llevar a la prescripción de inhibidores de la bomba de protones que son innecesarios y potencialmente perjudiciales. La insuficiencia glótica (IG) y los comportamientos laríngeos hiperfuncionales que la acompañan también pueden presentar síntomas de garganta comunes similares, que pueden o no incluir un cambio cualitativo en la voz. Métodos: Este es un artículo de reflexión. Está escrito para resumir, explicar y respaldar con evidencia la opinión del autor sobre cómo los síntomas de los trastornos de la voz pueden confundirse fácilmente con los síntomas del LPR. La reflexión ofrecida se basa en su experiencia, investigación y la literatura disponible. Reflexión: Este artículo tiene la intención de explorar las similitudes entre la IG y el LPR, cómo diferenciarlos finalmente y cómo abordar el tratamiento con un diagnóstico diferencial más amplio. Conclusión: El LPR y la IG pueden presentar síntomas idénticos y vagos en la garganta y la voz. Puede ser necesario realizar ensayos de medicación empírica, intervenciones conductuales y pruebas objetivas de laringovideostroboscopia, reflujo basado en impedancia y motilidad esofágica, a veces de manera experimental, para diagnosticar y tratar correctamente los síntomas de un paciente.

Split cricoideo anterior posterior: una novedosa técnica para evitar la traqueotomía en parálisis cordal bilateral en pacientes pediátricos / Posterior anterior cricoid split: a cutting-edge technique to avoid tracheostomy in bilateral cordal paralysis in pediatric patients

Introducción: La parálisis cordal bilateral en aducción es la segunda causa de estridor congénito y genera una grave obstrucción de la vía aérea, debutando con estridor. La traqueotomía ha sido durante mucho tiempo el gold estándar para el tratamiento de esta afección, no exenta de complicaciones. Existen procedimientos que intentan evitar la traqueotomía, como el split cricoideo anterior posterior endoscópico (SCAPE). Objetivo: Presentar experiencia con SCAPE en pacientes pediátricos como tratamiento alternativo de parálisis cordal bilateral en aducción. Material y Método: Análisis retrospectivo de los resultados quirúrgicos obtenidos en pacientes con parálisis cordal bilateral en aducción tratados con SCAPE entre enero de 2016 y diciembre de 2019 en el Hospital Guillermo Grant Benavente de Concepción, Chile. Resultados: Siete pacientes se sometieron a SCAPE. Todos los pacientes presentaban insuficiencia respiratoria severa, cinco requirieron asistencia ventilatoria mecánica. Seis pacientes tenían el diagnóstico de parálisis cordal bilateral (PCB) congénita y uno PCB secundaria a tumor de tronco cerebral. Cuatro pacientes presentaron comorbilidad de la vía aérea: dos pacientes presentaron estenosis subglótica grado I y dos pacientes presentaron laringomalacia que requirió manejo quirúrgico. Los días promedio de intubación fueron once días. Ningún paciente requirió soporte ventilatorio postoperatorio, sólo un paciente recibió oxigenoterapia nocturna debido a hipoventilación secundaria a lesión de tronco. Ningún paciente ha presentado descompensación respiratoria grave. Un 40% ha recuperado movilidad cordal bilateral. Conclusión: Split cricoideo anteroposterior endoscópico es una alternativa eficaz para tratar el PCB en pacientes pediátricos. Nuestro estudio evidencia que es una alternativa a la traqueotomía, con excelentes resultados y menor morbimortalidad.

Introduction: Bilateral vocal fold paralysis in adduction is the second cause of congenital stridor and generates a serious obstruction of the airway. Tracheostomy has long been the gold standard for the treatment of this condition, but it has inherent complications. There are procedures that try to avoid tracheotomy, such as the endoscopic anterior posterior cricoid split (EAPCS). Aim: Present our experience with EAPCS in pediatric patients as a treatment for bilateral vocal fold paralysis in adduction. Material and Method: Retrospective analysis of the surgical results obtained in patients with bilateral vocal cord paralysis in adduction treated with EAPCS between January 2016 and December 2019 at Guillermo Grant Benavente Hospital in Concepción, Chile. Results: Seven patients underwent EAPCS. All patients had severe respiratory failure, five required mechanical ventilation assistance. Six patients were diagnosed with congenital bilateral cord palsy (BCP) and one BCP secondary to a brainstem tumor. Four patients had airway comorbidity: two patients had grade I subglottic stenosis and two patients had laryngomalacia that required surgical management. The average days of intubation were eleven days. No patient required post op invasive/non-invasive ventilation, only one patient received nocturnal oxygen therapy due to hypoventilation secondary to trunk injury. None of the patients has presented severe respiratory decompensation. Forty percent have recovered bilateral chordal mobility. Conclusion: SCAPE is a cutting-edge and effective alternative to treat PCB in pediatric patients. Our study shows that it is an alternative to tracheotomy, with excellent results and lower morbidity and mortality.

Outcomes of endoscopic percutaneous suture lateralization for neonatal and infantal bilateral vocal ford paralysis

Abstract Objective: Bilateral Vocal Fold Paralysis (BVFP) is a rare but significant resource of respiratory distress in neonates and infants. The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and functional outcomes of Endoscopic Percutaneous Suture Lateralization (EPSL) for the treatment of BVFP in neonates and infants. Methods: A case series study of nine patients undergoing EPSL for BVFP between January 2019 and June 2021 was conducted. All patients were candidates for tracheostomy prior to EPSL. Demographic features including gender, age at diagnosis and surgery, main symptoms, airway comorbidities, airway support, and etiology were collected preoperatively. Patients were evaluated for breathing, swallowing and phonation postoperatively. Surgical success was defined as the ability to avoid tracheostomy. Functional Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing (FEES) was conducted to identify aspiration. Voice evaluation was based on clinical observation. Results: Nine patients underwent ten EPSL procedures (one in the left vocal fold, and nine in the right vocal fold). Eight patients (8/9) were able to successfully avoid tracheostomy and feed orally without aspiration after the procedure. One patient experienced clinical improvement in respiratory support requirements and underwent laparoscopic nissen and gastrostomy tube placement. At the last follow-up, two patients regained normal voice, two patients had mild dysphonia, and five patients had moderate dysphonia. Five patients showed partial return of the contralateral vocal fold function. Conclusion: EPSL is an effective and safe treatment for neonatal and infantal BVFP, which enables patients free from tracheostomy without significant impact on swallowing function or phonation. Level of evidence: Level 4.

Effect of Hyaluronic Acid Injection for a Dysphagia Patient Who Has Unilateral Vocal Fold Paralysis due to a Lateral Medullary Infarction: A Case Report / 대한연하장애학회지

This paper reports a case of a female patient aged 48 years diagnosed with a right lateral medullary infarction and dysphagia after the onset period. In a video fluoroscopic swallowing study (VFSS), significant manifestations were not observed in the oral phase, but during swallowing aspiration, a larger amount of post-swallowing residue were observed on the test of swallowing of semisolid and liquid. After the VFSS, a laryngoscopy was performed, which indicated paralysis and para-median fixation in the right vocal fold. In this case, swallowing with rightward head rotation was adopted as a compensation technique to reduce the aspiration caused by the para-median fixation of the right vocal fold, but it was not enough to improve the dysphagia in this case. To medialize the right vocal fold, hyaluronic acid was injected with laryngoscopic guidance. In a VFSS conducted after the injection, aspiration was not observed on the test of swallowing a semisolid and liquid. The injection of hyaluronic acid is less invasive than surgical operations, does not require general anesthesia, and makes the recovery time shorter. Therefore, it is expected to be an alternative to the treatment of unilateral vocal fold paralysis (UVFP) accompanied with dysphagia.

Quantitative Measurement of Laryngeal Electromyography Using Motor Unit Action Potential in Unilateral Vocal Cord Paralysis

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Laryngeal electromyography (LEMG) is valuable to evaluate the innervation status of the laryngeal muscles and the prognosis of vocal fold paralysis (VFP). However, there is a lack of agreement on quantitative interpretation of LEMG. The aim of this study is to measure the motor unit action potentials (MUAP) quantitatively in order to find cut-off values of amplitude, duration, phase for unilateral vocal fold paralysis patients. MATERIALS AND METHOD: Retrospective chart review was performed for the unilateral VFP patients who underwent LEMG from March 2016 to May 2018. Patient's demography, cause of VFP, vocal cord mobility, and LEMG finding were analyzed. The difference between normal and paralyzed vocal folds and cut-off values of duration, amplitude, and phase in MUAP were evaluated. RESULTS: Thirty-six patients were enrolled in this study. Paralyzed vocal fold had significantly longer duration (p=0.021), lower amplitude (p=0.000), and smaller phase (p=0.012) than the normal. The cut-off values of duration, amplitude, and phase in MUAP for unilateral VFP were 5.15 ms, 68.35 µV, and 1.85 respectively. CONCLUSION: An analysis of MUAP successfully provided quantitative differences between normal and paralyzed vocal folds. But, additional research is needed to get more available cut-off value which is helpful to evaluate the status of laryngeal innervations.

A Case of Unilateral Vocal Fold Paralysis Secondary to Sarcoidosis

Sarcoidosis is a multisystem granulomatous disease of unknown etiology. Vocal fold paralysis secondary to sarcoidosis is extremely rare but it can develop as a result of compressive lymphadenopathy, granulomatous infiltration, and neural involvement. We report the case of a 56-year-old woman who presented with unilateral vocal fold paralysis and enlarged supraclavicular lymph nodes. Computed tomography of the neck revealed multiple, enlarged, and matted lymph nodes at the cervical level of IV. An ultrasound-guided core needle biopsy of the lymph node was performed, and a histopathological diagnosis of sarcoidosis was made by validating the presence of noncaseating granuloma. After implementation of steroid therapy, the patient exhibited immediate recovery from vocal fold paralysis. Although an extremely rare disease, sarcoidosis should be included in the differential diagnosis of vocal fold paralysis. Accurate diagnosis and prompt steroid treatment may reduce the morbidity of patients with vocal fold paralysis secondary to sarcoidosis.

Multidimensional effects of voice therapy in patients affected by unilateral vocal fold paralysis due to cancer / Efeitos multidimensionais da terapia vocal em pacientes com paralisia unilateral daprega vocal por câncer

Abstract Introduction: Patients with unilateral vocal fold paralysis may demonstrate different degrees of voice perturbation depending on the position of the paralyzed vocal fold. Understanding the effectiveness of voice therapy in this population may be an important coefficient to define the therapeutic approach. Objective: To evaluate the voice therapy effectiveness in the short, medium and long-term in patients with unilateral vocal fold paralysis and determine the risk factors for voice rehabilitation failure. Methods: Prospective study with 61 patients affected by unilateral vocal fold paralysis enrolled. Each subject had voice therapy with an experienced speech pathologist twice a week. A multidimensional assessment protocol was used pre-treatment and in three different times after voice treatment initiation: short-term (1-3 months), medium-term (4-6 months) and long-term (12 months); it included videoendoscopy, maximum phonation time, GRBASI scale, acoustic voice analysis and the portuguese version of the voice handicap index. Results: Multiple comparisons for GRBASI scale and VHI revealed statistically significant differences, except between medium and long term (p < 0.005). The data suggest that there is vocal improvement over time with stabilization results after 6 months (medium term). From the 28 patients with permanent unilateral vocal fold paralysis, 18 (69.2%) reached complete glottal closure following vocal therapy (p = 0.001). The logistic regression method indicated that the Jitter entered the final model as a risk factor for partial improvement. For every unit of increased Jitter, there was an increase of 0.1% (1.001) of the chance for partial improvement, which means an increase on no full improvement chance during rehabilitation. Conclusion: Vocal rehabilitation improves perceptual and acoustic voice parameters and voice handicap index, besides favor glottal closure in patients with unilateral vocal fold paralysis. The results were also permanent during the period of 1 year. The Jitter value, when elevated, is a risk factor for the voice therapy success.

Resumo Introdução: Pacientes com paralisia unilateral de prega vocal podem apresentar diferentes graus de distúrbios da voz, dependendo da posição da prega vocal paralisada. A compreensão da eficácia da terapia vocal nesta população pode ser um coeficiente importante para definir a abordagem terapêutica. Objetivo: Avaliar a eficácia da terapia vocal em curto, médio e longo prazos em pacientes com paralisia unilateral de prega vocal e determinar os fatores de risco para falha na reabilitação da voz. Método: Estudo prospectivo, no qual 61 pacientes com paralisia unilateral de prega vocal foram recrutados. Cada participante foi submetido a terapia vocal com um fonoaudiólogo experiente duas vezes por semana. Um protocolo de avaliação multidimensional foi utilizado no pré-tratamento e em três momentos após o início da terapia da voz: curto prazo (1-3 meses), médio prazo (4-6 meses) e longo prazo (12 meses); incluiu videoendoscopia, tempo máximo de fonação, escala GRBASI, análise de voz acústica e a versão em português do Voice Handicap Index. Resultados: Os dados comparativos temporais das avaliações revelaram diferenças estatisticamente significativas, exceto entre médio e longo prazo (p < 0,005). Os dados sugerem que há melhora vocal ao longo do tempo com resultados de estabilização após seis meses (médio prazo). Dos 28 pacientes com paralisia unilateral permanente da prega vocal, 18 (69,2%) atingiram o fechamento glótico completo após a terapia vocal (p = 0,001). O método de regressão logística indicou que o Jitter entrou no modelo final como um fator de risco para melhora parcial. Para cada unidade de aumento de Jitter, houve um aumento de 0,1% (1,001) da chance de melhora parcial, o que significa um aumento na chance de não ocorrer melhora completa durante a reabilitação. Conclusão: A reabilitação vocal melhora os parâmetros de voz perceptiva e acústica e o índice de incapacidade vocal, além de favorecer o fechamento glótico em pacientes com paralisia unilateral da prega vocal. Além disso, os resultados também foram permanentes durante o período de um ano. O valor de Jitter, quando elevado, é um fator de risco para sucesso parcial da terapia vocal.

Clinical evaluation of vocal fold paralysis in 207 children / 中华耳鼻咽喉头颈外科杂志

Objective@#To investigate the etiology and clinical characteristics of vocal fold paralysis in children. To provide useful information for diagnosis, management and prognosis in the clinical work.@*Methods@#Two hundred and seven children with vocal fold paralysis in Children′s Hospital of Fudan University were retrospectively studied, and followed-up.@*Results@#All the patients had hoarseness.151 cases had vocal paralysis in the left side and the main etiology was pulmonary arterial hypertension.43 cases had bilateral vocal paralysis and all of them had respiratory problems.The main etiology were congenital tracheoesophageal malformations.13 cases had vocal paralysis in the right side.In terms of etiology, 8 cases were related to intracranial lesions, 2 cases were idiopathic.@*Conclusions@#The main etiologies of left vocal fold paralysis were cardiovascular diseases, and bilateral vocal paralysis were congenital tracheoesophageal malformations.The main etiologies of right vocal fold paralysis were neoplastic and central lesion.The prognosis of bilateral vocal fold paralysis and right vocal fold paralysis was poor.

Reliability of Interference Pattern on Laryngeal Electromyography for Prediction of Prognosis of Vocal Fold Paralysis / 대한이비인후과학회지

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Laryngeal electromyography (LEMG) is valuable for the prognosis of vocal fold paralysis (VFP). However, there is a lack of reliable data to apply it to clinical practice. The aim of this study is to evaluate the reliability of interference pattern of LEMG in order to predict the prognosis of VFP by comparing interference pattern and vocal cord mobility. SUBJECTS AND METHOD: A retrospective chart review was performed for patients who underwent LEMG from January 2012 to October 2015. Gender and age of patients, cause and treatment of VFP, vocal cord mobility, and result of LEMG were analyzed. The interference pattern of LEMG was used as a predictive marker of prognosis, which is compared with vocal cord mobility during the last follow-up. RESULTS: Fifteen patients were enrolled in this study. Among them, five patients were predicted by LEMG evaluation to have good prognosis, and 10 patients were predicted to have poor prognosis. All of the five patients with good prognosis showed improvement in vocal cord mobility, while seven out of 10 patients predicted with bad prognosis showed vocal fold fixation at the last follow-up. The reliability of prognostic prediction through interference pattern was 80%. CONCLUSION: Interference pattern of LEMG is reliable data to predict the prognosis of VFP, especially it showed perfect consistency for good prognosis.

The diagnostic value of laryngeal electromyography in vocal fold paralysis and arytenoid dislocation / 临床耳鼻咽喉头颈外科杂志

OBJECTIVES@#To identify diagnostic value of laryngeal electromyography (LEMG) in differentiating vocal fold paralysis (VFP) from arytenoid dislocation.@*METHODS@#The history, laryngeal morphologic characteristics and LEMG of 36 patients with VFP and 10 patients with arytenoid dislocation were compared and analyzed.@*RESULTS@#The most common cause of 36 VFP patients was surgical damage (24 cases), and the most common cause of 10 arytenoid dislocation patients was history of endotracheal intubation (9 cases). There was no statistical difference between the vocal fold and the fixed position of the vocal fold between the group of VFP patients and arytenoid dislocation patients. In the patients with VFP, 33 VFP patients (91.67%) had decreased recruitment; 9 cases (9/13) of denervation potential and 8 cases (8/9) of regeneration potential occurred within 1-6 months of the course of disease; 3 cases (3/4) of synkinesis occurred in the course of disease more than 6 months. In the patients with VFP, the amplitude (<0.01) and turns (<0.05) of thyroarytenoid muscles significantly decreased in the lesioned side comparing to the normal one, but the turns/amplitude ratio showed no statistical difference. In the patients with superior laryngeal nerve injury, the turns and amplitude analysis of cricothyroid muscles showed no statistical difference. All of 10 patients with arytenoid dislocation showed normal LEMG patterns.@*CONCLUSIONS@#LEMG can be used to differentiate the patients with vocal cord paralysis from arthrodesis dislocation, and can also carry out quantitative analysis to provide valuable help for the diagnosis.

Efficacy of Calcium Hydroxyapatite in Vocal Fold Augmentation for Unilateral Vocal Fold Paralysis in Asian

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to evaluate efficacy and complication of injection laryngoplasty using calcium hydroxyapatite (CaHA) for unilateral vocal fold paralysis in Asian. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A prospective study was conducted on the adult patients with unilateral vocal fold paralysis from May 2015 through January 2016. Injection laryngoplasty was performed by one laryngologist. All patients underwent prospective voice evaluation using the subjective and objective comprehensive battery of assessments, before the procedure and after the procedure at 3 months, and 6 months. RESULTS: A total of 7 patients (5 males and 2 females) were included in this study. VHI-10 was significantly decreased after injection laryngoplasty, at postoperative 6 months (p=0.031), while VAS score and MDADI showed no difference. GRBAS scale gradually decreased in 3 months and 6 months follow-up without statistical significance. Acoustic analysis revealed that jitter, shimmer, and noise-to-harmonic ratio continuously decreased from the baseline at 3 months and 6 months, although statistical significance was not attained. In the aerodynamic analysis, maximal phonation time was gradually increased at 3months and 6 months with significant difference (p=0.016, 0.031, respectively). There was no side effect associated with the procedure. CONCLUSION: CaHA can be safely used in Asian patients and the onset of maximal efficacy seems to be slow than other studies with Caucasian patients.

Parálisis de cuerda vocal secundaria a intubación endotraqueal y su manejo: revisión en relación a dos casos clínicos / Vocal cord paralysis secondary to endotracheal intubation and its management: review in relation to two clinical cases

La parálisis de cuerda vocal secundaria a intubación endotraqueal es una complicación poco frecuente de la anestesia general. Se manifiesta con disfonía precoz luego de la extubación, y en ocasiones se asocia a aspiración. A continuación se presenta el reporte de dos pacientes sometidos a cirugía abdominal con anestesia general e intubación endotraqueal, que presentan una parálisis cordal unilateral en el posoperatorio inmediato. En ambos pacientes se realiza una laringoplastía de inyección con ácido hialurónico (Restylane®), con buenos resultados vocales. Uno de los casos tiene seguimiento a lo largo de dos años. Se describe esta patología y su manejo mediante una revisión bibliográfica.

Vocal fold paralysis posterior to endotracheal intubation is a very uncommon complication of the general anestesia. The symptoms includes hoarseness posterior to the extubation, and some times aspiration occurs. In this paper we present the report of two cases of abdominal surgery with general anesteshia and endotraqueal intubation procedures. Both subjects developed unilateral vocal fold paralysis after the process. The patients were treated with wedilization injection with Restylane ®, satisfactory voice's results were achieved. One of them has an observational time of two years. We describe this infrequent pathology and the treatment through literature review.

Tiroplastía de medialización con Gore-Tex®: experiencia de 8 años en Hospital Clínico de la Universidad de Chile / Medialization thyroplasty with Gore-Tex®: 8 years experience in Clinical Hospital of the University of Chile

Introducción: La parálisis de cuerda vocal causa disfonía y puede ser complicación posterior a ciertas cirugías. Existen diversos tratamientos, uno de ellos es la tiroplastía de medialización, procedimiento realizado con anestesia local, permitiendo un fino ajuste de la voz. Objetivo: Analizar la experiencia en tiroplastía de medialización con Gore-tex® en el Hospital Clínico de la Universidad de Chile entre los años 2008-2016. Material y método: Estudio descriptivo, retrospectivo, con revisión de fichas clínicas de los pacientes que fueron sometidos a tiroplastía de medialización. Para el análisis de los datos se utilizará la prueba Wilcoxon. Resultados: Se analizaron datos de 21 pacientes, correspondientes a 24 tiroplastías de medialización. La edad promedio fue 54,2 años, 13 parálisis fueron secundarias a cirugía y 8 idiopáticas. En 17 pacientes se obtuvo la encuesta VHI-10 en el pre y posoperatorio, con valores promedio de 33,2y 17,4 (p =0,0003). Cinco pacientes requirieron de algún procedimiento complementario, entre 4 y 22 meses poscirugía: inyección de grasa, de Radiesse y refuerzo con otra prótesis de Gore-teX®. Conclusión: La tiroplastía de medialización es excelente para tratar la parálisis de cuerda vocal unilateral no recuperada en forma espontánea, siendo la encuesta VHI-10 una buena herramienta para evaluar la calidad de la voz.

Introduction: Vocal cord paralysis can cause hoarseness and coud be a complications to following certain surgeries. In its treatment, there are several alternatives, one of them is the medialization thyroplasty. This procedure, is performed under local anesthesia, allowing the fine-tune of the voice. Aim: To analyze the experience in Medialization Thyroplasty with Gore-tex in the Clinical Hospital of the University of Chile between 2008 and 2016. Material and method: Retrospective and descriptive, with the review of patient's clinical records who were treated with medialization thyroplasty. The data analysis is done using Wilcoxon test. Results: Data from 21 patients, corresponding to 24 medialization thyroplasty. The average age was 54.2 years old, 13 paralysis were secondary to surgeries and 8 were Idiopathic. In 17 patients it was posible to get the VHI-10 survey in the pre and postoperative, with an average value of 33.2 and 17.4 (p =0.0003). Five patients required some additional procedure, between 4 and 22 months post surgery: injection of fat, Radiesse and installation of a new Gore-tex prosthesis Conclusions: Medialization thyroplasty is an excellent method to treat paralysis of unilateral vocal cord in cases when is not recovered spontaneously, being the VHI-10 survey a good tool for assessing voice quality.

Selective Reinnervation of Posterior Cricoarytenoidmuscles by Upper Root of Unilateral Phrenic Cerve / 听力学及言语疾病杂志

Objective To study the experimental results of selective reinnervation of posterior cricoarytenoid(PCA) muscles by upper root of unilateral phrenic nerve.Methods Eight beagle dogs were used in this experiment.The left recurrent laryngeal nerves (RLNs) were severed and anastomosed with upper root of phrenic nerve, and the intralaryngeal adductor branch was cut and sutured into the belly of the ipsilateral PCA muscle. The right RLNs were kept intact, and were used as control group.Videolaryngoscopy and electromyography (EMG) were performed at preoperative, immediately after surgery and 6 months after surgery.After completion of all physiologic testings,the dogs were sacrificed and bilateral PCA muscles and intralaryngeal part of recurrent laryngeal nerves were harvested, then histological examination was carried out.The laryngeal nerve was stained with toluidine blue and the morphology of the axons was observed under light microscope.Results Preoperatively, the movement of bilateral vocal folds were normal in all dogs.The left vocal folds were fixed immediately after surgery, 6 months after surgery, the left vocal folds in all 8 dogs recovered inspiratory abductive movement.Spontaneous and evoked electrical activities of the reinnervated PCA muscles could be recorded in all cases during inspiration preoperatively.The left PCA muscles were electrical silent during normal inspiration, and evoked activities were not induced immediately after surgery.Spontaneous electrical activities and evoked electrical activities were recorded 6 months after surgery, and had no significant difference when compared with those of postoperative (P>0.05).There was no significant difference in the cross-sectional area of the bilateral posterior cricoarytenoid muscles fibers after the masson staining.Muscle collagen relative cross-sectional area and collagen relative cross-sectional area and muscle/collagen cross-sectional area ratio difference were not statistically significant(P>0.05).Nerve pulp numbers of left and right sides of the recurrent laryngeal nerves had no significant difference (P>0.05).Conclusion Selective reinnervation of posterior cricoarytenoid muscles by the upper root of unilateral phrenic nerve can restore inspiratory vocal fold abduction to a satisfactory extent and avoid aberrant regeneration.

The Phonetic Characteristics in Patients of Bilateral Vocal Fold Paralysis Without Tracheotomy

OBJECTIVES: Patients with bilateral vocal fold paralysis (BVFP) theoretically have difficulty producing voiceless consonants. However, perceptual studies have revealed clear production of voiceless consonants with good articulation scores in nontracheostomized patients. The purpose of this study was to clarify the production of voiceless stops during articulation in patients with BVFP compared to normal speakers. METHODS: The perceptual, acoustic, and aerodynamic characteristics of patients with BVFP and those with normal speech were investigated with special reference to voiceless stop consonants. Test words were prepared to place the stop consonants in different phonological environments, and were all nonsense words. RESULTS: The patients with BVFP perceptually produced the three types of stops successfully. However, they acoustically varied voice onset time to produce phonetically representative stops but decreased voice onset time of /ph/ and /p/ compared to those of normal speakers. These patients may properly control air pressure to produce the three types of stop consonants similar to normal speakers. CONCLUSION: The patients with BVFP realized the distinctions between the three types of stops similar to the normal speakers. Although vocal mobility was absent in the patients with BVFP, voice onset time, vowel duration, closure duration, and air pressure were similar to those of normal speakers.

Electromyography-Guided Botulinum Toxin Injection Into the Cricothyroid Muscles in Bilateral Vocal Fold Abductor Paralysis

OBJECTIVES: Bilateral vocal fold abductor paralysis (BVFAP) both deteriorates quality of life and may cause life-threatening respiratory problems. The aim of this study was to reduce respiratory symptoms in BVFAP patients using cricothyroid (CT) botulinum toxin (BTX) injection. METHODS: Before and 2 weeks and 4 months after bilateral BTX injection into the CT muscles under electromyography; alterations in respiratory, acoustic, aerodynamic and quality of life parameters were evaluated in BVFAP patients with respiratory distress. For the respiratory evaluation modified Borg scale and spirometry, for the voice and aerodynamic evaluations Voice Handicap Index-30 (VHI-30), GRBAS, acoustic analysis (sound pressure level, F0, jitter%, shimmer%, noise-to-harmonic ratio) and maximum phonation time and for the quality of life assessment Short Form-36 (SF-36) form were used. RESULTS: All patients were female with a mean age of 47±8.1 years. There was a mean time of 11.8±5.5 (minimum 2, maximum 23) months between BVFAP development and BTX injection. In all cases, other than one case with unknown aetiology, the cause of vocal fold paralysis was prior thyroid surgery. In total 18.6±3.1 units of BTX were applied to the CTs. In the preinjection period, and the 2nd week and 4th month after injection, the Borg dyspnea scale was 7.3/5.3/5.0, FIV1 (forced inspiratory volume in one second) was 1.7/1.7/1.8 L, peak expiratory flow (PEF) was 1.4/1.7/2.1 L/sec, maximum phonation time was 7.0/6.4/6.2 seconds and VHI-30 was 63.2/52.2/61.7 respectively. There was no significant alteration in acoustic analysis parameters. Many of the patients reported transient dysphagia within the first week. There were insignificant increases in SF-36 sub-scale values. CONCLUSION: After BTX injection, improvements in the mean Borg score, PEF and FIV1 values and SF-36 sub-scale scores showed the restricted success of this approach. This modality may be kept in mind as a transient treatment option for patients refused persistent tracheotomy or ablative airway surgeries.

Usefulness of Cepstral Peak Prominence (CPP) in Unilateral Vocal Fold Paralysis Dysphonia Evaluation

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to compare the usefulness of Cepstral peak prominence (CPP) with parameter of Multiple Dimensional Voice Program (MDVP) in evaluating unilateral vocal fold paraylsis patients with subjective voice impairment. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From July 2014 to August 2016, 37 patients with unilateral vocal fold paralysis who had been diagnosed with unilateral vocal fold paralysis and had received two or more voice tests before and after the diagnosis were evaluated for maximum phonation time (MPT), MDVP and CPP. Respectively. Voice tests were performed with short vowel /a/ and paragraph reading. RESULTS: The CPP-a (CPP with vowel /a/) and CPP-s (CPP with paragraph reading) of the Cepstrum were statistically negatively correlated with G, R, B, and A before the voice therapy. Jitter, Shimmer, and NHR of MDVP were positively correlated with G, R, B. Jitter, Shimmer, and NHR of the MDVP were significantly correlated with the Cepstrum index. G, B, A and CPP-a and CPP-s showed a statistically significant negative correlation and a somewhat higher correlation coefficient between 0.5 and 0.78. On the other hand, in MDVP index, there was a positive correlation with G and B only with Jitter of 0.4. CONCLUSION: CPP can be an important evaluation tool in the evaluation of speech in the unilateral vocal cord paralysis when speech energy changes or the cycle is not constant during speech.

Comparison of Voice Outcomes between Medialization Thyroplasty and Arytenoid Adduction with or without Injection Laryngoplasty in Unilateral Vocal Fold Paralysis Patients

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: In unilateral vocal fold paralysis (VFP), medialization thyroplasty (MT), arytenoid adduction (AA) and injection layrngoplasty (IL) are the most common procedures to correct phonatory problems. There is no consensus that which procedure is superior to the other for correcting the glottal insufficiency. The purpose of this study was to compare the phonatory parameters between MT, AA and AA with IL (AA+IL) in patients with unilateral VFP. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This retrospective study enrolled patients from 2005 to 2016. Total 72 patients (49 male, 23 female, mean age 54.5 years) were classified into three groups ; MT (n=28), AA (n=12), and AA+IL (n=32). GRBAS scales, maximum phonation time (MPT), jitter, shimmer, noise to harmonic ratio (NHR), and voice handicap index (VHI)-10 and VHI-30 were preoperatively and postoperatively collected and compared between the three groups. RESULTS: Age, gender and cause of VFP were not significantly different between the three groups. In MT and AA groups, MPT, VHI, G (overall grade) and B (breathiness) were significantly improved. In AA+IL group, jitter, shimmer, NHR, MPT, VHI, G and B were significantly improved. In analysis of differences (pre-postoperative values), Δ jitter (p < 0.001), Δ shimmer (p=0.031), and Δ NHR (p=0.002) were significantly different and AA+IL group showed the greatest improvement. CONCLUSION: Analysis of voice parameters showed that all the three procedures for patients with unilateral VFP are effective in the improvement of voice ; especially in MPT, VHI-10, G and B scales. Compared to the others, AA+IL provided the better acoustic values including jitter, shimmer and NHR.

Management of Post-Throidectomy Voice Problems: Surgeon's Perspectives / 대한이비인후과학회지

Recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) injury is not the only cause of voice alteration after thyroidectomy; many patients noticed slight voice changes after thyroidectomy, without evidence of RLN injury. Typical symptoms are easy fatigue during phonation and difficulty with high-pitched and singing voices; other symptoms are paresthesia, vague voice changes, throat discomfort, swallowing difficulties, and the feeling of choking. This collection of symptoms appears to be a real syndrome, which we have named post-thyroidectomy syndrome. In the management of these patients with unilateral vocal cord paralysis, injection laryngoplasty techniques have regained popularity in recent years. Because it is easier and less invasive than conventional medialization thyroplasty and may provide equally durable and effective results. As a novel voice rehabilitation procedure, RLN reinnervation has advantages which prevent the progressive loss of thyroarytenoid muscle tone, tension and potential of restoring a normal voice with preserving of laryngeal anatomy. In this manuscript, we could get a lots of useful information how to manage thyroidectomy related vocal fold paralysis with adequate different techniques at different situations.

A Case of Bilateral Vocal Fold Paralysis Induced by Concurrent Rheumatoid Arthritis Involvement of Laryngeal Nerve and Cricoarytenoid Joint

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a connective tissue disease involving the larynx in 30% of the patients. Foreign body sensation, hoarseness, and cough are common symptoms in laryngeal involvement. An urgent tracheostomy is required when acute airway obstruction occurs in case of bilateral vocal fold paralysis. The most common cause of bilateral vocal fold paralysis in RA patients is a cricoarytenoid joint arthritis. Laryngeal nerve degeneration is rare cause of bilateral vocal fold paralysis in RA patients. In this case report, an emergent tracheostomy was performed on a 64-years-old male patient with acute dyspnea, and concurrent involvement of RA on laryngeal nerve and cricoarytenoid joint was revealed by laryngeal electromyography and histopathology. The vocal fold mobility was restored after 3-months medical treatment.