Sarah Bouhabel1, Scott Park2, Ksenia Kolosova3, Neda Latifi2, Karen Kost4, Nicole Y K Li-Jessen5, Luc Mongeau6. 1. Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Electronic address: sarah.bouhabel@muhc.mcgill.ca. 2. Department of Mechanical Engineering, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. 3. Department of Physics, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. 4. Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. 5. Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; School of Communication Sciences and Disorders, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. 6. Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Department of Mechanical Engineering, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of immediate injection treatments of dexamethasone, hyaluronic acid (HA)/gelatin (Ge) hydrogel and glycol-chitosan solution on the phonatory function of rabbit larynges at 42 days after surgical injury of the vocal folds, piloting a novel ex vivo phonatory functional analysis protocol. METHODS: A modified microflap procedure was performed on the left vocal fold of 12 rabbits to induce an acute injury. Animals were randomized into one of four treatment groups with 0.1 mL injections of dexamethasone, HA/Ge hydrogel, glycol-chitosan or saline as control. The left mid vocal fold lamina propria was injected immediately following injury. The right vocal fold served as an uninjured control. Larynges were harvested at Day 42 after injection, then were subjected to airflow-bench evaluation. Acoustic, aerodynamic and laryngeal high-speed videoendoscopy (HSV) analyses were performed. HSV segments of the vibrating vocal folds were rated by three expert laryngologists. Six parameters related to vocal fold vibratory characteristics were evaluated on a Likert scale. RESULTS: The fundamental frequency, one possible surrogate of vocal fold stiffness and scarring, was lower in the dexamethasone and HA/Ge hydrogel treatment groups compared to that of the saline control (411.52±11.63 Hz). The lowest fundamental frequency value was observed in the dexamethasone group (348.79±14.99 Hz). Expert visual ratings of the HSV segments indicated an overall positive outcome in the dexamethasone treatment group, though the impacts were below statistical significance. CONCLUSION: Dexamethasone injections might be used as an adjunctive option for iatrogenic vocal fold scarring. An increased sample size, histological correlate, and experimental method improvements will be needed to confirm this finding. Results suggested a promising use of HSV and acoustic analysis techniques to identify and monitor post-surgical vocal fold repair and scarring, providing a useful tool for future studies of vocal fold scar treatments.
OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of immediate injection treatments of dexamethasone, hyaluronic acid (HA)/gelatin (Ge) hydrogel and glycol-chitosan solution on the phonatory function of rabbit larynges at 42 days after surgical injury of the vocal folds, piloting a novel ex vivo phonatory functional analysis protocol. METHODS: A modified microflap procedure was performed on the left vocal fold of 12 rabbits to induce an acute injury. Animals were randomized into one of four treatment groups with 0.1 mL injections of dexamethasone, HA/Ge hydrogel, glycol-chitosan or saline as control. The left mid vocal fold lamina propria was injected immediately following injury. The right vocal fold served as an uninjured control. Larynges were harvested at Day 42 after injection, then were subjected to airflow-bench evaluation. Acoustic, aerodynamic and laryngeal high-speed videoendoscopy (HSV) analyses were performed. HSV segments of the vibrating vocal folds were rated by three expert laryngologists. Six parameters related to vocal fold vibratory characteristics were evaluated on a Likert scale. RESULTS: The fundamental frequency, one possible surrogate of vocal fold stiffness and scarring, was lower in the dexamethasone and HA/Ge hydrogel treatment groups compared to that of the saline control (411.52±11.63 Hz). The lowest fundamental frequency value was observed in the dexamethasone group (348.79±14.99 Hz). Expert visual ratings of the HSV segments indicated an overall positive outcome in the dexamethasone treatment group, though the impacts were below statistical significance. CONCLUSION: Dexamethasone injections might be used as an adjunctive option for iatrogenic vocal fold scarring. An increased sample size, histological correlate, and experimental method improvements will be needed to confirm this finding. Results suggested a promising use of HSV and acoustic analysis techniques to identify and monitor post-surgical vocal fold repair and scarring, providing a useful tool for future studies of vocal fold scar treatments.
Authors: Benjamin Rafii; Shaum Sridharan; Salvatore Taliercio; Nandini Govil; Benjamin Paul; Michael J Garabedian; Milan R Amin; Ryan C Branski Journal: Laryngoscope Date: 2014-01-28 Impact factor: 3.325