Shisha smoking and Reinke's edema

ABSTRACT

This study was done on 21 females, with age above 35 years, living in Saudi Arabia. All patients were suffering from dysphonia in the form of low pitched deep rough voice. They have only one common habit, i.e. shisha smoking more than 10 years. Indirect laryngoscopy revealed polypoidal swellings of both vocal folds. Microlaryngoscopy was applied for them and proved the nature of the lesions, Reinke's edema. The lesions of both vocal folds were removed in one setting operation following Kleinsasser trend. The treatise coincides with the studies, suggesting smoking as the underlying cause of Reinke's edema, but the pathophysiology is still obscure