Search Our Scientific Publications & Authors

J Speech Lang Hear Res 2020 Jul 1:1-17. Epub 2020 Jul 1.

Center for Laryngeal Surgery and Voice Rehabilitation, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston.

Purpose Given the established linear relationship between neck surface vibration magnitude and mean subglottal pressure (Ps) in vocally healthy speakers, the purpose of this study was to better understand the impact of the presence of a voice disorder on this baseline relationship. Method Data were obtained from participants with voice disorders representing a variety of glottal conditions, including phonotraumatic vocal hyperfunction, nonphonotraumatic vocal hyperfunction, and unilateral vocal fold paralysis. Participants were asked to repeat /p/-vowel syllable strings from loud-to-soft loudness levels in multiple vowel contexts (/pa/, /pi/, /pu/) and pitch levels (comfortable, higher than comfortable, lower than comfortable). Read More

Surgery 2020 Jun 27. Epub 2020 Jun 27.

School of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan; Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Linkou, Taoyuan, Taiwan. Electronic address:

Background: Iatrogenic unilateral vocal fold paralysis caused by thyroid surgery induces profound physical and psychosocial distress in patients. The natural course of functional recovery over time differs substantially across subjects, but the mechanisms underlying this difference remain unclear. In this study, we examined whether the anatomic site of the lesion affected the trajectory of recovery. Read More

J Voice 2020 Jun 26. Epub 2020 Jun 26.

Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan of Medicine.

Objectives: Injection laryngoplasty (IL) is performed to reduce the gap between vocal folds induced by unilateral vocal fold paralysis (UVFP). Voice quality after IL may be different due to other factors that influence voice quality. Voice therapy has been reported to improve voice quality after IL in patients with UVFP. Read More

Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol 2020 Jun 8:3489420933650. Epub 2020 Jun 8.

Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.

Objective: Recurrent laryngeal nerve injury is a potential complication of cardiothoracic surgery and cause of unilateral vocal fold paralysis (UVFP). Injection laryngoplasty (IL) is an intervention offered to patients with UVFP to alleviate symptoms including dysphagia, dysphonia and weak cough. There is no definitive evidence that IL prevents pneumonia. Read More

Acta Otorhinolaryngol Ital 2020 Apr;40(2):99-105

Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, School of Medicine, Kumamoto University 1-1-1, Honjo, Chuo-ku, Kumamoto, Japan.

Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol 2020 May 23. Epub 2020 May 23.

Audiology Unit at Treviso Hospital, Department of Neuroscience DNS, University of Padova, Piazzale Ospedale 1, 31100, Treviso, Italy.

Purpose: To review the current management of arytenoid subluxation/dislocation (AS/AD) focusing on diagnostic, therapeutic, and prognostic controversies.

Methods: The international literature of the last 20 years has been considered. After the application of inclusion criteria, 20 studies were selected (471 AS/AD cases in total). Read More

Logoped Phoniatr Vocol 2020 May 14:1-13. Epub 2020 May 14.

Faculty of Health Sciences, University Fernando Pessoa, Porto, Portugal.

Unilateral vocal folds paralysis is a disorder that affects a patient's quality-of-life by disturbing their phonation, breathing, and swallowing activities. This systematic review aimed to estimate the efficacy of voice treatment on the vocal fold motility in adult patients with unilateral vocal folds paralysis. PubMed, CINAHL, CENTRAL, and Web of Science were searched for retrospective and prospective cohort, case-control, and cross-sectional with comparative studies with adults that were published between 1 January 2008 to 31 December 2018. Read More

HNO 2020 Jun;68(6):461-472

Klinik für Hals-Nasen-Ohrenheilkunde, Kopf- und Halschirurgie, Universitätsklinik Ulm, Frauensteige 12, 89075, Ulm, Deutschland.

Unilateral vocal fold palsy is a frequent cause of hoarseness. In the presence of glottis closure insufficiency, the effectiveness of conservative voice therapy is often limited and phonosurgery may be indicated. Injection laryngoplasty is effective for correction of insufficiency. Read More

Neoreviews 2020 May;21(5):e308-e322

Eudowood Division of Pediatric Respiratory Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD.

Vocal fold paralysis (VFP) is an important cause of respiratory and feeding compromise in infants. The causes of neonatal VFP are varied and include central nervous system disorders, birth-related trauma, mediastinal masses, iatrogenic injuries, and idiopathic cases. Bilateral VFP often presents with stridor or respiratory distress and can require rapid intervention to stabilize an adequate airway. Read More

Laryngoscope 2020 May 1. Epub 2020 May 1.

Surgical Photonics & Engineering Laboratory, Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Massachusetts Eye and Ear and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.A.

Objectives: Contemporary clinical assessment of vocal fold adduction and abduction is qualitative and subjective. Herein is described a novel computer vision tool for automated quantitative tracking of vocal fold motion from videolaryngoscopy. The potential of this software as a diagnostic aid in unilateral vocal fold paralysis is demonstrated. Read More

Logoped Phoniatr Vocol 2020 Apr 22:1-5. Epub 2020 Apr 22.

American University of Beirut Medical Center, Beirut, Lebanon.

To report the volumetric measures of the paralyzed vocal fold in patients undergoing injection laryngoplasty. All the medical records of patients with unilateral vocal fold paralysis who had high resolution computerized tomography scan of the neck and chest prior to injection laryngoplasty between October 2015 and May 2018 were included. Volumetric evaluation of the vocal folds was performed by measuring the vocal fold height using coronal images and the vocal fold length and width using axial images. Read More

J Voice 2020 Apr 3. Epub 2020 Apr 3.

Unit of Otorhinolaryngology-Department of Surgery and Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal; Research Group on Ventilatory Handicap (EA 3830 GRHV), University of Rouen, Normandy, France; University Hospital Federation SURFACE, Regenerative surgery in Head and Neck, Amiens, France.

Background: Unilateral vocal fold paralysis (UVFP) often leads to significant morbidity that may include dysphonia, swallowing problems and aspiration. The best timing for medialization procedures is still controversial. Published data suggest that early intracordal injection positively affects long-term outcomes. Read More

Laryngoscope 2020 Mar 16. Epub 2020 Mar 16.

Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, U.S.A.

Objectives: To evaluate the impact of early inpatient bedside injection laryngoplasty (IL) in hospitalized patients with iatrogenic unilateral vocal fold immobility (UVFI).

Study Design: Retrospective cohort study.

Methods: A retrospective review of hospitalized patients with iatrogenic UVFI undergoing IL between September 2013 and June 2017 was performed. Read More

J Acoust Soc Am 2020 Feb;147(2):1136

LEGI, UMR CNRS 5519, Grenoble Alpes University, France.

Dysphonia is often caused by level difference between left and right vocal folds, which are positioned on different angles with respect to the transverse plane, resulting in angular asymmetry. Unilateral vocal fold paralysis may cause such angular asymmetry. In this case, the normal vocal fold is located on the transverse plane, whereas the paralyzed vocal fold is rotated in the sagittal plane as its posterior edge is moved up to the superior direction. Read More

Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol 2020 May 18;277(5):1409-1415. Epub 2020 Feb 18.

Division of Phoniatrics-Logopedics, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Medical University of Vienna, Währinger Gürtel 18-20, 1090, Vienna, Austria.

Purpose: This paper describes a first attempt to quantify LEMG data based on turn number calculation. The results obtained for both healthy and ailing thyroarytenoid (TA) muscles of patients with unilateral vocal fold immobility (UVFI) were compared with the respective qualitative evaluation concerning volitional activity to determine whether the two types of analyses deliver similar results.

Methods: LEMG data obtained from 44 adults with UVFI were considered for the study. Read More

Laryngoscope 2020 Feb 14. Epub 2020 Feb 14.

Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.

Objectives: In case of insufficient voice improvement after injection laryngoplasty (IL), additional IL will be one of the next option of treatments. However, little is known about the voice outcomes regarding an additional IL.

Study Design: Retrospective comparative study in single institution. Read More

Medicine (Baltimore) 2020 02;99(7):e19406

ORL J Otorhinolaryngol Relat Spec 2020;82(2):93-105. Epub 2020 Feb 7.

Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Changhai Hospital, The Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China,

Objectives: The optimal surgical approach to treat recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) infiltration by differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) remains a subject of debate. This study explored the feasibility and efficiency of immediate ansa cervicalis nerve (ACN)-to-RLN anastomosis for the management of RLN infiltration by DTC.

Material And Methods: Fifty-three patients who underwent immediate ACN-to-RLN anastomosis during DTC extirpation were enrolled in the present study. Read More

G Chir 2019 Sep-Oct;40(5):455-458

This retrospective study, of a single surgeon's experience, evaluates the role of intraoperative neuromonitoring (IONM) for total thyroidectomy, in a low-volume district general hospital. 128 patients with normal preoperative vocal fold function underwent thyroid surgery with routine use of nerve monitoring. Patients were followed for 6 months after surgery, and postoperative Romanerve function was determined by fiberoptic laryngoscopy. Read More

Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol 2020 Mar 24;277(3):933-938. Epub 2020 Jan 24.

Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, University Hospital Ostrava, 17. Listopadu 1790, 70852, Ostrava, Czech Republic.

Purpose: Electrical stimulation-supported therapy is an often used modality. However, it still belongs to experimental methods in the human larynx. Data are lacking with which to evaluate the real effect in recurrent laryngeal nerve injury. Read More

Future Oncol 2020 Jun 8;16(16s):45-53. Epub 2020 Jan 8.

Department of Neurosciences, Section of Otolaryngology and Regional Centre for Head and Neck Cancer, University of Padova, Treviso, Italy.

The aim of this study is to assess the efficacy of external laryngeal medialization acquired through a Gore-Tex implant in a 45 patients affected by unilateral vocal fold paralysis in abduction after pneumonectomy. The cohort of patients was made up of 30 male (73.1%) and 11 female patients (26. Read More

Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol 2020 Mar 8;277(3):827-832. Epub 2020 Jan 8.

Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Seoul National University College of Medicine, 20, Boramae-ro 5-gil, Dongjak-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea.

Objectives: To evaluate the prognostic value of the posterior cricoarytenoid (PCA) muscle atrophy observed on neck computed tomography (CT) in patients with unilateral vocal fold paralysis.

Methods: CT images of 87 subjects with unilateral vocal fold paralysis (UVFP) were evaluated to analyze the PCA muscle atrophy and to measure the severity of the PCA muscle atrophy in semi-quantitative manner. The grading of the PCA muscle atrophy was compared with the recruitment pattern of laryngeal electromyography (LEMG) and restoration of vocal fold movement. Read More

Medicine (Baltimore) 2020 Jan;99(1):e18579

Department of Audiology and Speech Pathology, Asia University, Taiwan ROC.

The aim of this study was to compare major voice indicators in different sub-categories, the outcome of lipoinjection for patients might be refined and some voice prognostic factors could be more particularized in specific sub-groups. This is an observational study, and sub-grouped UVFP patients into 3 categories: male vs female, BMI ≥ 24 vs BMI < 24, Age ≥ 60 vs Age < 60 for more detailed exploring whether sub-categories affected voice diagnostic and prognostic parameters. Patients' voice data is recorded before and after the autologous fat injection laryngoplasty by a multidimensional voice program. Read More

Braz J Otorhinolaryngol 2020 Jan - Feb;86(1):1-2. Epub 2019 Nov 18.

Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre (UFCSPA), Disciplina de Otorrinolaringologia, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil. Electronic address:

Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol 2020 Jun 30;129(6):536-541. Epub 2019 Dec 30.

Department of Otolaryngology, School of Medicine, University of Colorado, Aurora, CO, USA.

Objectives: CO laser medial transverse cordotomy is a permanent static procedure performed to achieve adequate functional airway in cases of posterior glottic stenosis and bilateral vocal fold paralysis. Although it is the preferred method to manage long-term bilateral vocal fold immobility, it is widely believed that cordotomy has the potential to cause aspiration. The minimal existing data on the effect surgical enlargement of the glottic airway on swallowing function is heterogeneous. Read More

Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol 2020 Mar 16;277(3):809-817. Epub 2019 Dec 16.

Division of Phoniatrics-Logopedics, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, 1090, Vienna, Austria.

Purpose: Persistent unilateral vocal fold paralysis (UFVP) with glottal insufficiency often requires type I medialization thyroplasty (MT). Previous implants cannot be adjusted postoperatively if necessary. The newly developed APrevent VOIS implant (VOIS) can provide postoperative re-adjustment to avoid revision MT. Read More

J Clin Anesth 2020 May 10;61:109687. Epub 2019 Dec 10.

Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States of America; Center for Perioperative Research, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, United States of America. Electronic address:

Study Objective: To provide a contemporary medicolegal analysis of claims brought against anesthesiologists for injuries related to endotracheal intubation.

Design: A retrospective study of closed claims data from the Controlled Risk Insurance Company (CRICO) Comparative Benchmarking System (CBS) database between 2004 and 2015.

Setting: Closed claims that occurred in any surgical specialty in which the patient was undergoing general anesthesia and anesthesiology was named as the primary responsible service. Read More

Laryngoscope 2019 Dec 10. Epub 2019 Dec 10.

Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, U.S.A.

Objectives/hypothesis: The purpose of this study was to develop and provide evidence of a novel permanent injectable biomaterial for vocal fold augmentation with the potential to treat glottic incompetence by evaluating its performance in two animal models.

Study Design: Animal model.

Methods: Microporous annealed particle (MAP) hydrogel was fabricated using a water-in-oil emulsion method and synthetically tuned to match the stiffness modulus of native vocalis muscle. Read More

J Voice 2019 Dec 4. Epub 2019 Dec 4.

Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery Department, Grenoble Alpes University Hospital, Grenoble, France; Grenoble Alpes University, School of Medicine, Domaine de la Merci, Grenoble, France. Electronic address:

Objective: Vocal fold paralysis in adduction can result in dyspnea. The authors have previously described an original vocal fold lateralization technique performed exclusively through an endoscopic approach. In this work, we studied long and short-term results of this procedure on dyspnea, phonation, and swallowing. Read More

J Laryngol Otol 2019 Dec 3;133(12):1097-1102. Epub 2019 Dec 3.

Department of Otolaryngology, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India.

Background: Disorders of voice can limit an individual's participation and impair social interaction, thus affecting overall quality of life. Perceptual and objective evaluations can provide the clinician with detailed information regarding voice disorders.

Methods: This study comprised 40 subjects aged 34-46 years, 20 of whom (10 male, 10 female) had unilateral vocal fold palsy. Read More

Laryngoscope 2019 Nov 29. Epub 2019 Nov 29.

Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, Changhai Hospital, The Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, the People's Republic of China.

Objectives/hypothesis: This study explored the feasibility and efficiency of main branch of ansa cervicalis nerve (ACN)-to-recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) anastomosis for management of paroxysmal laryngospasm due to unilateral vocal cord paralysis (UVCP).

Methods: Thirteen patients who underwent main branch of ACN-to-RLN anastomosis for management of paroxysmal laryngospasm due to UVCP were enrolled in the present study. Multidimensional assessments, including videostroboscopy, voice assessment, and laryngeal electromyography (LEMG), were performed preoperatively and postoperatively. Read More

Laryngoscope 2019 Nov 25. Epub 2019 Nov 25.

Department of Surgery, Division of Otolaryngology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah.

Objectives/hypothesis: The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of dysphagia definition on the incidence and overall prevalence of dysphagia in patients with unilateral vocal fold paralysis (UVP) stratified by etiology.

Study Design: Retrospective medical chart review.

Methods: Data was collected from the records of individuals diagnosed with UVP from 2013 to 2018, including patient demographics, dysphagia questionnaire total scores, clinical evaluation dysphagia symptoms, and instrumental swallow assessment outcomes. Read More

JAMA Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 2019 Nov 21. Epub 2019 Nov 21.

Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.

Importance: Permanent surgical treatment for unilateral vocal fold paralysis (UVFP) should be performed when further neural recovery is improbable. Conservative delay of the surgical procedure may cause unnecessary deterioration of the patient's quality of life. Knowledge of the natural course of UVFP is important for better management and counseling. Read More

Bratisl Lek Listy 2019 ;120(11):864-866

Aim: The aim of the work was to evaluate the voice quality of 10 adult patients after thyroplasty type I using a silicone block. Preoperatively patients suffered from unilateral vocal fold paralysis.

Material And Methods: We evaluated selected preoperative and postoperative patient findings (RBH according to Wendler classification, videolaryngostroboscopy and maximum phonation time MPT). Read More

Clin Exp Otorhinolaryngol 2020 May 19;13(2):179-185. Epub 2019 Nov 19.

Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Research Institute for Clinical Medicine of Chonbuk National University-Biomedical Research Institute of Chonbuk National University Hospital, Jeonju, Korea.

Objectives: Both acoustic and aerodynamic analyses are essential to evaluate the phonetic characteristics of voice pathology. The purpose of the study is to determine the magnitude of their correlation with the different types of bilabial plosive consonants.

Methods: A controlled prospective study of 35 patients diagnosed with unilateral vocal fold paralysis was performed. Read More

J Voice 2019 Nov 12. Epub 2019 Nov 12.

Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre, Cheras, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Electronic address:

Objective: This study compared the voice outcomes of selected patients with unilateral vocal fold palsy (UVFP) who underwent either nonselective laryngeal reinnervation (LR) or Type 1 thyroplasty (thyroplasty) in a Malaysian tertiary centre using multidimensional voice assessments.

Participants: The study included 16 patients with UVFP who underwent either LR (9 patients) or thyroplasty (7 patients) between 2015 and 2018 who fulfilled the inclusion criteria.

Main Outcome Measures: The outcomes were measured subjectively and objectively with: (1) voice handicap index-10 (VHI-10- Malay version); (2) auditory perceptual evaluation using the breathiness component of Grade, Roughness, Breathiness, Asthenia, Strain scale; (3) maximum phonation time (MPT); and (4) acoustic analysis (jitter%, shimmer%, and NHR) using OperaVOX. Read More

Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol 2020 Jan 24;128:109742. Epub 2019 Oct 24.

Department of Otolaryngology, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Boston, MA, USA. Electronic address:

While Ansa to recurrent laryngeal nerve reinnervation is gaining popularity in the treatment of unilateral vocal fold immobility, little has been reported on commonly encountered surgical challenges with this procedure. Here, we present a cohort of 21 pediatric patients who underwent this procedure with a full description of techniques used to overcome common challenges with this procedure. We report vocal and swallowing outcomes for these patients, with an overall success rate of 19/21 (90. Read More

BMJ Open 2019 10 30;9(10):e030151. Epub 2019 Oct 30.

Division of Otolaryngology, Department of Surgery, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, USA.

Introduction: Patient-reported outcome (PRO) measures are increasingly developed with multisite, representative patient populations so that they can serve as a primary endpoint in clinical trials and longitudinal studies. Creating multisite infrastructure during PRO measure development can facilitate future comparative effectiveness trials. We describe our protocol to simultaneously develop a PRO measure and create a collaborative of tertiary care centres to address the needs of patients with unilateral vocal fold paralysis (UVFP). Read More

J Voice 2019 Oct 22. Epub 2019 Oct 22.

Division of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, Wisconsin.

Objectives: Previous studies of subjects with unilateral vocal fold paralysis (UVFP) as observed in a positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT) examination have demonstrated false positive results in the contralateral cricoarytenoid, in which the metabolism may be higher. This area may also be the site of contralateral compensatory movement in these patients. In this study, we compared the adduction speed of the contralateral vocal folds in patients with UVFP and in healthy subjects as measured by the stroboscopic laryngoscope frame rate. Read More

Laryngoscope 2020 Jul 21;130(7):1756-1763. Epub 2019 Oct 21.

Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University Hospital of Rouen, Rouen, France.

Objectives/hypothesis: Demonstration of voice improvement and long-term stability following nonselective unilateral laryngeal reinnervation (ULR) in patients with unilateral vocal fold paralysis (UVFP) and severe denervation. A subgroup of patients on whom ULR was performed as a salvage technique following unsuccessful medialization was analyzed separately.

Study Design: Prospective cohort study. Read More

Ear Nose Throat J 2019 Oct 17:145561319882116. Epub 2019 Oct 17.

Centro Hospitalar do Porto e Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal.

Objective: To use a multidimensional assessment to analyze potential influence of "aging" in the functional outcomes achieved by a group of patients with recent onset of unilateral vocal fold paralysis (UVFP) who underwent voice therapy.

Design: Prospective, observational, and cross-sectional study.

Setting: Otolaryngology department, Centro Hospitalar do Porto. Read More

Ear Nose Throat J 2019 Oct 16:145561319873914. Epub 2019 Oct 16.

Section of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

J Voice 2019 Oct 9. Epub 2019 Oct 9.

Mayo Clinic Department of Otolaryngology, Rochester, Minnesota. Electronic address:

Objectives: We hypothesized that, in patients with unilateral vocal fold paralysis (UVFP), the auditory-perception of breathiness measured with Consensus Auditory-Perceptual Evaluation of Voice (CAPE-V) would be higher preoperatively in patients who undergo medialization laryngoplasty (ML) with arytenoid adduction (AA) compared to ML alone. We further hypothesized that increased breathiness would correlate with increased glottal area at maximum glottal closure.

Study Design: Retrospective chart review. Read More

Clin Otolaryngol 2019 11 8;44(6):1071-1079. Epub 2019 Oct 8.

Department of Audiology and Phoniatrics, Charité - University Medicine Berlin, Berlin, Germany.

Objectives: To compare continuous (C-IONM) vs intermittent intraoperative neuromonitoring (I-IONM) in complex benign thyroid surgery, and to follow up patients with loss of signal (LOS) or unilateral vocal fold paralysis (UVFP).

Design: Retrospective clinical study, prospective case series.

Setting: University hospital and academic teaching hospital of Charité-University Medicine Berlin, Germany. Read More

Ear Nose Throat J 2019 Sep 24:145561319874721. Epub 2019 Sep 24.

Department of ENT, Zhongshan Hospital, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China.

Objective: To investigate the value of diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) in the evaluation of vocal fold tissue microstructure after recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) injury.

Methods: Six canines were divided into 2 groups: a unilateral vocal fold paralysis group (n = 4) and a control group (n 2). The RLN was cut in the unilateral vocal fold paralysis group, and no intervention was applied in the control group. Read More

Zhonghua Er Bi Yan Hou Tou Jing Wai Ke Za Zhi 2019 Sep;54(9):685-688

Department of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Tianjin First Central Hospital, Tianjin Institute of Otorhinolaryngology, Tianjin 300192, China.

To investigate the value of acoustic parameters in the voice therapy for patients with unilateral vocal cord paralysis (UVCP). From May 2015 to April 2018, 51 patients with UVCP and 59 healthy controls in Department of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Tianjin First Central Hospital, were involved in this research retrospectively. The UVCP patients were diagnosed with stroboscopic laryngoscopy. Read More

J Comp Neurol 2020 Mar 18;528(4):574-596. Epub 2019 Oct 18.

Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri.

The recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) is responsible for normal vocal-fold (VF) movement, and is at risk for iatrogenic injury during anterior neck surgical procedures in human patients. Injury, resulting in VF paralysis, may contribute to subsequent swallowing, voice, and respiratory dysfunction. Unfortunately, treatment for RLN injury does little to restore physiologic function of the VFs. Read More

Laryngoscope 2020 Jun 9;130(6):1520-1524. Epub 2019 Sep 9.

Sean Parker Institute for the Voice, Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York, U.S.A.

Objective: Spontaneous vocal recovery from idiopathic vocal fold paralysis (VFP) appears to differ in time course from recovery in iatrogenic VFP. This study aimed to determine if this difference could be explained by differing mechanisms causing recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) dysfunction, specifically whether idiopathic VFP is consistent with a focal RLN axonal lesion.

Study Design: Case series with mathematical modeling. Read More

J Voice 2019 Sep 3. Epub 2019 Sep 3.

Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University of Washington Medical Center, Seattle, Washington.

Purpose: There are many reports of the efficacy of laryngeal reinnervation on voice, but there is a paucity of literature regarding its impact on swallowing function. The goal of this study was to explore the impact of laryngeal reinnervation on swallowing outcomes among unilateral vocal fold paralysis (UVFP) patients.

Methods: We reviewed 22 UVFP cases treated with laryngeal reinnervation at our institution. Read More

Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol 2019 Nov 4;276(11):3159-3164. Epub 2019 Sep 4.

Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Kyorin University School of Medicine, 6-20-2, Shinkawa, Mitaka, Tokyo, 181-8611, Japan.

Purpose: Ultra-high-resolution computed tomography (UHRCT) is an emerging imaging technology that is able to achieve simultaneous 160 slices with super-thin 0.25 mm thickness. The purpose of this study was to assess the feasibility of UHRCT to visualize laryngeal structure and kinetics. Read More