OBJECTIVES: To determine the current etiology of vocal fold immobility, identify changing trends over the last 20 years, and compare results to historical reports. STUDY DESIGN: The present study is a retrospective analysis of all patients seen within a tertiary care institution between 1996 and 2005 with vocal fold immobility. The results were combined with a previous study of patients within the same institution from 1985 through 1995. Results were compared to the literature. METHODS: The medical records of all patients assigned a primary or additional diagnostic code for vocal cord paralysis were obtained from the electronic database. RESULTS: Eight hundred twenty-seven patients were available for analysis (435 from the most recent cohort), which is substantially larger than any reported series to date. Vocal fold immobility was most commonly associated with a surgical procedure (37%). Nonthyroid surgeries (66%), such as anterior cervical approaches to the spine and carotid endarterectomies, have surpassed thyroid surgery (33%) as the most common iatrogenic causes. These data represent a change from historical figures in which extralaryngeal malignancies were considered the major cause of unilateral immobility. Thyroidectomy continues to cause the majority (80%) of iatrogenic bilateral vocal fold immobility and 30% of all bilateral immobility. CONCLUSIONS: This 20-year longitudinal assessment revealed that the etiology of unilateral vocal fold immobility has changed such that there has been a shift from extralaryngeal malignancies to nonthyroid surgical procedures as the major cause. Thyroid surgery remains the most common cause of bilateral vocal fold immobility.
OBJECTIVES: To determine the current etiology of vocal fold immobility, identify changing trends over the last 20 years, and compare results to historical reports. STUDY DESIGN: The present study is a retrospective analysis of all patients seen within a tertiary care institution between 1996 and 2005 with vocal fold immobility. The results were combined with a previous study of patients within the same institution from 1985 through 1995. Results were compared to the literature. METHODS: The medical records of all patients assigned a primary or additional diagnostic code for vocal cord paralysis were obtained from the electronic database. RESULTS: Eight hundred twenty-seven patients were available for analysis (435 from the most recent cohort), which is substantially larger than any reported series to date. Vocal fold immobility was most commonly associated with a surgical procedure (37%). Nonthyroid surgeries (66%), such as anterior cervical approaches to the spine and carotid endarterectomies, have surpassed thyroid surgery (33%) as the most common iatrogenic causes. These data represent a change from historical figures in which extralaryngeal malignancies were considered the major cause of unilateral immobility. Thyroidectomy continues to cause the majority (80%) of iatrogenic bilateral vocal fold immobility and 30% of all bilateral immobility. CONCLUSIONS: This 20-year longitudinal assessment revealed that the etiology of unilateral vocal fold immobility has changed such that there has been a shift from extralaryngeal malignancies to nonthyroid surgical procedures as the major cause. Thyroid surgery remains the most common cause of bilateral vocal fold immobility.
Authors: David O Francis; Kelly Williamson; Kristen Hovis; Alexander Gelbard; Albert L Merati; David F Penson; James L Netterville; C Gaelyn Garrett Journal: Laryngoscope Date: 2015-07-07 Impact factor: 3.325
Authors: F Granato; F Martelli; L V Comini; P Luparello; S Coscarelli; O Le Seac; S Carucci; P Graziani; R Santoro; G Alderotti; M R Barillari; Giuditta Mannelli Journal: Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol Date: 2019-08-02 Impact factor: 2.503
Authors: Vera Matievics; Adam Bach; Balazs Sztano; Zsofia Bere; Zoltan Tobias; Paul F Castellanos; Andreas H Mueller; Laszló Rovo Journal: Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol Date: 2017-08-08 Impact factor: 2.503
Authors: Reza Behkam; Kara E Roberts; Andrew J Bierhals; M Eileen Jacobs; Julia D Edgar; Randal C Paniello; Gayle Woodson; Jonathan P Vande Geest; Julie M Barkmeier-Kraemer Journal: J Appl Physiol (1985) Date: 2017-05-18
Authors: Vyas M N Prasad; Raja Fakhoury; Diane Helou; Georges Lawson; Marc Remacle Journal: Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol Date: 2017-03-17 Impact factor: 2.503