[Voice-related quality of life: structure, validity and factors of the German questionnaire].

In this study, structure and validity of the German version of the Voice-Related Quality of Life (V-RQOL) questionnaire and its correlation to age, gender, and type of dysphonia (organic vs. functional) were assessed. Correlations of the V-RQOL result on the one hand and emotional and physical complaints on the other hand were investigated. Data were collected in 62 adult patients with dysphonia of benign origin and the following results were found: the German version of the V-RQOL questionnaire describes voice-related quality of life in one single value. Age, gender and type of dysphonia do not influence its result. Dysphonic patients present with an increased number of emotional and physical complaints when compared with normative values derived from the literature. However, not all of these complaints correlate with voice-related quality of life at a significant level. Copyright 2008 S. Karger AG, Basel.