Spasmodic Dysphonia / 대한이비인후과학회지

ABSTRACT

Spasmodic dysphonia is a primary task specific focal dystonia affecting the laryngeal muscle during speech. Adductor spasmodic dysphonia (ADSD) affects close to 90% of spasmodic dysphonia patients is characterized by voice breaks during vowels during speech due to intermittent hyperadduction of the vocal folds. Abcuctor spasmodic dysphonia (ABSD) is relatively rare and involves intermittent voiceless voice breaks due to prolonged voiceless consonants before initiation of the following vowels. Treatment for spasmodic dysphonia has been aimed at denervation or adjustment of the larynx to prevent the uncontrolled spasms in the laryngeal muscles from interfering with voice production. As a result there is a risk-benefit ratio in that the denervation must be adequate to reduce the detection of symptoms whereas at the same time not producing aphonia, breathiness and swallowing difficulties. This article summarizes the pathogenesis, diagnosis and treatment of the spasmodic dysphonia.