Causes of Acquired Vocal Cord Palsy in Indian Scenario.

• Main Authors: Swapna Sebastian, Benedict Anto Suresh, Achamma Ballraj
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Light House Polyclinic Mangalore 2012-10-01
• Series: Online Journal of Health & Allied Sciences
• Subjects: Vocal cord paralysis; Endo-tracheal intubation; Hoarseness of voice
• Online Access: http://www.ojhas.org/issue43/2012-3-4.htm

Vocal cord paresis or paralysis occurs due to lesion in the vagus nerve. Vocal cord paralysis can lead to dysphonia as well as dysphagia which lead the patient to frustration and emotional problems. The literature available on the etiology and the problems faced by them in Indian population is very scanty. Hence a prospective study was done on 41 Patients with vocal cord palsy who were referred to the Department of ENT for voice assessment and management from March 1st 2012 till 1st August 2012. The medical and surgical reports were examined. They were evaluated by an otorhinolaryngologist, and a Speech Language Pathologist. Diagnosis was made based on video stroboscopic findings. We also examined voice-related quality of life (V-RQOL) outcomes in these patients. In this study, endo-tracheal intubation (15/41; 36.5%) was the major cause of vocal cord palsy. The second major cause for vocal cord palsy in our study was surgical trauma (iatrogenic) which constituted 26.8% (11/41), out of which thyroidectomy contributed to 81.81% (9/11) and cardiac surgery (Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting (CABG) contributed to 18.18% (2/11). Neurological problems caused 14.63% (6/41) of the total cases. Non-surgical trauma constituted 9.75% (4/41) of the total patients. Left recurrent laryngeal nerve paralysis was found as a complication of heart disease in 7.3%(3/41). Tuberculosis of lungs and cancer of lungs accounted to be the rarest causes. Hoarseness of voice was the most common symptom with associated dysphagia in a few. The voice related quality of life of these patients was found to be poor. They were found to have problems in the social-emotional domain and physical functioning domain.