Bilateral vocal cord paralysis caused by laryngeal mask airway

The laryngeal mask airway (LMA) is regarded as a safer supraglottic airway for general anesthesia compared with conventional endotracheal tubes. We report a case of bilateral vocal cord palsy temporarily observed after using the LMA, which required urgent tracheotomy. Severe swelling of the arytenoid suggested that bilateral recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy was caused by prolonged compression on the pyriform fossa. One month later, vocal cord movements were fully recovered. It should be noted that bilateral vocal cord palsy is a possible complication associated with use of the LMA.     

Bilateral vocal cord paralysis associated with laryngeal myxedema

For managing dyspnea caused by bilateral vocal cord paralysis as a complication of thyroidectomy in the acute postoperative period, reversible vocal cord lateralisation is performed at the authors’ departments. However, in the later postoperative period of thyroidectomy when there is no chance for recovery of the recurrent laryngeal nerves, they perform irreversible procedure. Applying these operative techniques satisfactory breathing can be achieved in about 95% of cases avoiding tracheostomy. In 5% of cases there are other comorbidities in the background of unsuccessful operative results which can cause potential dyspnea as well. From these complications the authors emphasize the role of laryngeal obstruction and myxedema as a consequence of hypothyroidism developed after thyroidectomy. Management of severe dyspnea caused by association of these two complications of thyroidectomy means a great therapeutic challenge. Between 01 Jan 1989 and 30 Nov 2008 the authors performed 161 reversible and 135 irreversible vocal cord lateralisations to manage dyspnea caused by bilateral vocal cord paralysis as a complication of thyroidectomy. From these cases four patients had further obstruction due to laryngeal myxedema. By performing endoscopic laryngeal surgeries and applying levothyroxine replacement therapy sufficiently wide glottic chink has been achieved in all the cases. According to the experience of the authors dyspnea caused by bilateral vocal cord paralysis after thyroidectomy needs complex, interdisciplinary therapeutic approach beside glottis widening operations.     

Lipoinjection for unilateral vocal cord paralysis.

Injection of Teflon paste is a commonly accepted procedure to improve the caliber of voice in unilateral vocal cord paralysis. There are several drawbacks to Teflon injection, among them respiratory obstruction (from overinjected Teflon) and unsatisfactory voice quality (Teflon causes stiffness of the vocal folds). This paper is a preliminary report on lipoinjection instead of Teflon injection into a paralyzed vocal fold. Fat appears to impart a soft bulkiness to the injected cord, while allowing it to retain its vibratory qualities. It is autologous material and can be retrieved if excessively overinjected. The fate of autologous fat injected into a paralyzed vocal cord remains unknown. Most of the literature on lipoinjection concerns repairs of depressed scars or breast augmentation. Our longest follow-up has been 12 months. Three patients have had this procedure, and the results appear to be very encouraging.     

Arytenoid abduction for dynamic rehabilitation of bilateral laryngeal paralysis

OBJECTIVES: Bilateral laryngeal paralysis results in airway obstruction, but the voice is often nearly normal. Tracheotomy provides an airway and preserves voice. Surgical procedures to statically enlarge the glottis can permit decannulation, but do so at the expense of the voice. Motion analysis in cadaver larynges has demonstrated that adductor and abductor muscles rotate the arytenoid cartilage around different axes. We sought to determine whether external rotation of the arytenoid cartilage could enlarge the airway without abolishing residual phonatory adduction. METHODS: We performed arytenoid abduction in 6 patients with obstructing laryngeal paralysis. A suture was placed in the muscular process and posterior-inferior traction was applied, anchoring the suture to the inferior cornu of the thyroid cartilage. Outcomes were evaluated by assessing airway symptoms, by assessing the voice, and by documentation of laryngeal motion via videolaryngoscopy. RESULTS: Three patients with severe stridor had marked relief of symptoms, and 2 of the 3 tracheotomy-dependent patients were decannulated. Three patients had good voices, 2 had mild breathiness, and 1 was very breathy. CONCLUSIONS: Arytenoid abduction is a promising treatment for relieving airway obstruction in patients with laryngeal paralysis. It has the potential to preserve voice in patients with residual phonatory adduction.     

Pediatric vocal cord paralysis

Pediatric vocal cord paralysis accounts for approximately 10% of all congenital laryngeal lesions. Early detection of these neurogenic disorders is based upon a high index of suspicion and is important to prevent catastrophes during periods of acute respiratory embarrassment. This paper reviews the symptoms, etiology and management of unilateral and bilateral vocal cord paralysis as it pertains to this age group. A case is presented of a neonate with vocal cord paralysis and associated hydrocephalous and meningomyelocele to illustrate many of the problems associated with pediatric laryngeal paralysis.     

Treatment of bilateral vocal cord paralysis following permanent recurrent laryngeal nerve injury

Bilateral vocal cord paralysis is a serious illness requiring emergency intervention to resolve the potentially life-threatening respiratory distress. Several surgical procedures were proposed to help improve the airway and to eliminate the tracheostoma in those patients with permanent paralysis. All the procedures have their own advantages and disadvantages. We conducted a retrospective study of 30 patients affected by bilateral vocal cord paralysis following total thyroidectomy. All the patients underwent total thyroidectomy for benign thyroid pathology. In 26 patients (86.6%), cord paralysis occurred during the perioperative stage; and in the remaining 4 cases (13.3%), it occurred within the following 6 months. We treated all these bilateral recurrent laryngeal nerve paralysis patients with arytenoidectomy alone in 5 patients and arytenoidectomy with concomitant true and false posterior cordectomy in the remaining 25 patients. Twenty-four of the 25 patients who underwent the combined procedures (96%) reported subjective respiratory improvement and were decannulated within 60 days, being able to return to their normal daily activities. This study demonstrates that arytenoidectomy associated with posterior cordectomy is a satisfactory surgical treatment of bilateral vocal cord paralysis because it leads to a considerable and stable enlargement of the breathing space.     

Central vocal cord paralysis and paresis presenting as laryngeal stridor in children

Vocal cord paralysis or paresis as the initial presenting symptom for intracranial tumors in children are rare. Recently, two pediatric patients who were later diagnosed as having intracranial tumors presented with the symptom of voice changes and stridor. Telescopic examination revealed bilateral vocal cord paresis and paralysis as demonstrated by video recordings. The majority of pediatric brain tumors present with both generalized and localized complaints; however, by discussing these two rare cases, we hope to underscore the importance of a thorough workup of the paralyzed or paretic vocal cords.     

Nerve transfer versus Teflon injection for vocal cord paralysis: a comparison

Teflon injection for unilateral vocal cord paralysis frequently produces an improved yet breathy voice. Ansa hypoglossi-recurrent laryngeal nerve anastomosis has been performed in five patients. In the four patients discussed in this paper, excellent phonatory quality has been achieved. Electroacoustic analysis indicates that this technique may produce normal phonatory function in paralyzed larynges. There have been no serious side effects or complications in our first five patients. Denervation of the sternothyroid muscle, which results from sectioning its nerve in preparation for suture to the RLN, appears to further improve the voice by medially positioning the vocal cord. Gelfoam paste is injected at the time of nerve transfer to rehabilitate the voice during the 2 months required for nerve regeneration. For younger patients, or those with professional use of their voices, this technique offers superior speech results when compared with Teflon injection.     

Etiology of vocal cord paralysis

OBJECTIVE: Vocal cord paralysis (VCP) is a sign of a certain underlying disease, a diagnosis which can be attributed to various causes. This study intends to analyze the contemporary etiology of VCP in a tertiary medical center. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective review of medical records from June 2000 to December 2004 of hospitalized patients with VCP was done to determine the etiology. RESULTS: Two hundred and ninety-one patients with a determined etiology were identified, consisting of 176 males and 115 females. Unilateral VCP was present in 259 patients, while 32 presented with bilateral VCP. The causes were surgical in 40.2%, neoplastic in 29.9%, idiopathic in 10.7%, traumatic in 8%, central in 3.8%, radiation-induced in 3.4%, inflammatory in 2%, cardiovascular in 1.7% and other causes in 0.3% of the cases. Thyroidectomy represented the most common surgery for VCP and was the cause in 57 patients. Lung cancer was responsible for 34 cases and was the most common neoplastic etiology. In males, neoplasm was the most common cause occurring in 63 of 176 males, whereas surgery was most frequent in 59 of 115 females. CONCLUSION: Surgical trauma, mainly thyroidectomy, is the most common cause of VCP in hospitalized patients. The possibility of a neoplasm must be ruled out before VCP is labeled idiopathic. A benign thyroid tumor could also cause VCP. Besides, radiation-induced cranial nerve paralysis in head and neck cancer may play a significant role.     

Evaluation of peripheral vocal cord paralysis by electromyography

Objective: To analyze the predictive value of electromyography (EMG) after peripheral vocal cord paralysis and to estimate regeneration time. Study Design: Retrospective study based on electromyographic data and medical chart review of university based ENT hospitals. Methods: EMG results of 448 patients were classified into neuropraxia, axonotmesis/neurotmesis, or not classifiable and followed until final outcome. Final outcome was classified electromyographically into restitutio ad integrum, defective healing, or not classifiable. Results: The etiology of the paralysis was thyroid gland surgery in 42.9% and other iatrogenic lesions in 11.8%. Idiopathic paralysis was found in 20.3%. Mean follow‐up time was 4.8 months. Initial EMG findings were neuropraxia in 31.0%, axonotmesis/neurotmesis in 40.8%, and not classifiable in 28.1%. Restitutio ad integrum was detected by EMG in 17.6% and defective healing in 43.3%. In 39.1%, the outcome could not be classified. The positive predictive value of EMG was 97% and the negative predictive value 60%. The outcome depended significantly on the initial EMG result (P < .0001) but not on the etiology (P = .737) of the paresis. Regeneration time after neuropraxia was 4.0 months and after axonotmesis/neurotmesis 5.6 months. Conclusion: Laryngeal EMG has a high predictive value for acute peripheral vocal cord paralysis. The outcome can be predicted more reliably by means of EMG than by analysis of the etiology of the lesion.     

单侧声带横断与声带部分切除术治疗双侧声带外展麻痹

目的探讨用单侧声带横断与声带部分切除术治疗双侧声带外展麻痹的疗效与临床应用价值。方法对9例继发性双侧声带外展麻痹的患者,采用支撑喉镜下单侧声带横断与声带部分切除术进行治疗,通过术后的观察随访,对该术式的临床效果进行分析与评估。结果8例患者气管切开后行单侧声带横断与声带部分切除术,其中7例患者术后2个月安全拔管,1例不能拔管的患者经过再次手术2个月后安全拔管;另1例I度呼吸困难患者经口气管内插管后行声带手术。所有患者行单侧声带横断与声带部分切除术后随访半年以上呼吸困难完全缓解;术后声嘶程度均较前加重,但不影响日常的生活交流。结论单侧声带横断与声带部分切除术治疗双侧声带外展麻痹的方法,不需要昂贵器械,简单实用,临床疗效良好,并发症少,值得在基层医院中推广应用。     

电子喉镜吞咽功能检查在声带麻痹定位诊断中的应用

目的 探讨电子喉镜吞咽功能检查在声带麻痹定位诊断中的应用价值。方法 以15例单侧声带麻痹患者为例,应用电子喉镜对此组患者进行吞咽功能检查,其中左侧声带麻痹10例,右侧声带麻痹5例,发病期5d～10个月。以迷走神经神经节为界,将病变部位分为迷走神经神经节或以上部位的高位病变、迷走神经神经节以下部位的低位病变,其中高位病变4例,低位病变4例,部位不明7例。结果 高位病变组的4例患者,吞咽糊状食物时全部有食物残留于病变侧梨状窝;低位病变组的4例患者,吞咽糊状食物时3例梨状窝无食物残留,仅1例患者同侧梨状窝有食物残留,但是该例患者在同时进行的食管镜检查中发现食管中段癌;7例损伤部位不明的患者中,2例同侧梨状窝有食物残留,5例梨状窝无食物残留。结论 电子喉镜下对单侧声带麻痹患者进行吞咽功能检查,根据病变侧梨状窝有无食物残留可以初步判定喉返神经损伤的部位是在迷走神经节以上或以下部位。