The Role of Speech Therapy in Patients Who Underwent Laryngeal Microsurgery due to Phonotraumatic Lesions and Lesions Unrelated to Phonotrauma

Introduction: The role of the speech-language pathology in the multiprofessional team dealing with laryngology and the voice has been recognized for a long time. Scientific studies in this field recommend therapies for laryngeal microsurgeries; few of the studies, however, effectively evaluate the result of postoperative speech therapy. Objective: To compare speech therapy evaluation and treatment among patients with phonotraumatic lesions and patients with lesions unrelated to phonotrauma who underwent laryngeal microsurgery. Methods: This study was performed at IPO Hospital (Paranaense Institute of Otorhinolaryngology, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil) between February 2010 and February 2011. Of 254 patients who underwent laryngeal microsurgery, 208 patients were included in the study and divided in two groups: group A with phonotraumatic lesions (n = 131) and group B with lesions unrelated to phonotrauma (n = 77). The number of sessions and the functional result after speech therapy were evaluated. Results The number of postoperative phonotherapy sessions after microsurgery was up to 10 sessions in 89.31% and 87.71% for groups A and B, respectively. Phonotherapy treatment showed a better functional evolution in group A (92.37%). Conclusion: A significant difference was observed only in functional evolution, which was better in the group with phonotraumatic lesions (p < 0.0001)...

Characteristics of polypoid lesions in patients undergoing microsurgery of the larynx

Dysphonia is the main symptom of lesions that affect the vocal tract. Many of those lesions may require surgical treatment. Polyps are one of the most common forms of vocal cord lesions and the most prevalent indication for laryngeal microsurgery. There are different types of polyps, and their different characteristics can indicate different prognosis and treatments. AIM: To conduct a comparative study of polypoid lesions (angiomatous and gelatinous) in patients undergoing laryngeal microsurgery via an electronic protocol. METHOD: We prospectively evaluated 93 patients diagnosed with vocal fold polyps; the polyps were classified as angiomatous or gelatinous. RESULTS: In total, 93 patients undergoing laryngeal microsurgery were diagnosed with vocal fold polyps. Of these, 63 (64.74%) had angiomatous and 30 (32.26%) gelatinous polyps. Most patients with angiomatous polyps were men; their polyps were frequently of medium size, positioned in the middle third of the vocal fold, and accompanied by minimal structural alterations (MSA). In contrast, the majority of patients with gelatinous polyps were women; their polyps were smaller, positioned in the middle and posterior third of the vocal fold, and were not accompanied by MSA. Both types of polyps were more frequently located on the right vocal fold. CONCLUSION: Angiomatous polyps were more frequently encountered than gelatinous polyps. In addition, correlations between polyp type and sex, polyp size, position, location, and the presence of MSA were observed. Different surgical techniques were used, but the postoperative results were similar and satisfactory after speech therapy...

Proposed computerized protocol for epidemiological study of patients undergoing microsurgery of the larynx

Introduction: The merging of medicine with information technology facilitates the retrieval of stored data, aiding the conduct of research with greater scientific rigor. Studies in the field of otorhinolaryngology, specifically in the area of laryngology and voice, are of fundamental importance, since 70% of the economically active need their voice to work. Objective: To create a computerized protocol of the diseases of the larynx, apply and validate it, and use it to evaluate patients undergoing laryngoscopic microsurgery of the larynx. Method: We created a database of ENT diseases through a literature review of textbooks and scientific articles. Next, we computerized the data and incorporated it into the SINPE©, creating a master protocol (ENT diseases) and a specific protocol (laryngeal diseases). Data were collected prospectively from patients undergoing laryngeal microsurgery in the ENT Hospital of Paraná. The collected data were analyzed with graphs through the SINPE© Analyzer module. Results: We evaluated 245 patients aged 9-79 years, and determined that 36.61% (93 patients) underwent surgery for the presence of polyps on the vocal folds, 12.6% (32) underwent surgery for papillomatosis, and 11.83% (29) underwent surgery for intracordal cysts. Conclusions: The creation of an electronic database of clinical ENT diseases was feasible. We were also able to implement and validate the protocol. The database may be released to physicians involved in clinical data collection and retrieval of information to conduct scientific research in an organized manner. The most common laryngeal disorders identified were polyps, papilloma, and intracordal cysts...