Published in:
Open Access 01-11-2018 | Laryngology
Pathological sulcus vocalis: treatment approaches and voice outcomes in 36 patients
Published in: European Archives of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology | Issue 11/2018
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Purpose
This is a retrospective study to evaluate the results of surgical treatment of patients with pathological sulcus vocalis.
Methods
Thirty-six patients with pathological sulcus underwent surgery and in 33 cases were performed additional injection laryngoplasty. The pre- and postoperative evaluation of patients included the GRBAS scale, stroboscopic, and objective acoustic voice assessment. The Voice Handicap Index questionnaire (VHI-30) was also used and the scores were obtained from 33 patients.
Results
The stroboscopic evaluation showed significant improvement of amplitude, mucosal wave, and glottal closure after treatment (p < 0.001). The VHI-30 scores decreased considerably indicating improvement due to the treatment for all aspects measured by VHI (p < 0.05, or p < 0.01). In all domains of GRBAS scale, the differences between preoperative and postoperative assessment were statistically significant (p < 0.001). We observed a significant change in Shim and APQ parameters (p < 0.05). Improvement was also observed in the sAPQ parameter, but it was not statistically significant (p = 0.051). For the remaining acoustic parameters, no changes were observed.
Conclusions
The surgical procedure with supplementary injection laryngoplasty of the vocal folds is a good treatment option for pathological sulcus vocalis. The post-treatment self-assessment indicates the significant improvement in VHI, just as perceptual–acoustic evaluation of voice does. Patients with pathological sulcus frequently present with amplitude disturbances, what explains their significant improvement after treatment.