Rheumatoid Arthritis of the Larynx: A Case Report / 대한이비인후과학회지

ABSTRACT

Rheumatoid arthritis is a destructive systemic disorder of unknown etiology. The disease follows a prolonged and fluctuating course. It is characterized by periods of remission and exacerbation. Typically articular manifestations are encountered in the smaller peripheral joints. It has been estimated that 25% of patients with rheumatoid arthritis will show clinical evidence of laryngeal involvement in the course of disease course. Postmortem studies suggest that the actual incidence of laryngeal arthritis may be as high as 50-80%. Yet the studies of laryngeal arthritis have not been reported in Korea. It is thought that because of the lack of interest in laryngeal arthritis, a lot of diseases caused by laryngits or vocal cord paralysis have been overlooked. Authors report with a review of the literature that a patient who suffered from voice change and cord palsy was confirmed to have laryngeal arthritis.