Airflow study of pathologic larynges using a hot wire flowmeter.

Two aspects of laryngeal airflow, constant flow rate (DC) and alternating flow rate (AC), were examined in patients with vocal cord paralysis, acute laryngitis, and vocal cord polyps using the hot wire flowmeter. Vocal cord paralysis was characterized by a large DC with a small AC/DC percentage, and acute laryngitis showed a normal DC in spite of a small AC/DC percentage. No consistent finding was observed for the laryngeal polyp. Simultaneous measurement of both parameters was thought to better define the physiologic correlates of hoarseness in various laryngeal disorders.