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Prevalence of arytenoid asymmetry in relation to vocal symptoms

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 December 2010

A-L Hamdan ,
J Nassar ,
J Ashkar  and
A Sibai
A-L Hamdan*
Affiliation:
Department of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery, American University of Beirut Medical Center, Lebanon
J Nassar
Affiliation:
Department of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery, American University of Beirut Medical Center, Lebanon
J Ashkar
Affiliation:
Department of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery, American University of Beirut Medical Center, Lebanon
A Sibai
Affiliation:
Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, American University of Beirut, Lebanon
*
Address for correspondence: Dr Abdul-Latif Hamdan, Clinical Associate Professor, Department of Otolaryngology, American University of Beirut Medical Center, P.O.Box 110236, Beirut, Lebanon Fax: 9611746660 E-mail: alhamdan@svclb.com
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Abstract

Objectives:

(1) To assess the prevalence of arytenoid asymmetry during adduction, and (2) to correlate arytenoid asymmetry with vocal symptoms.

Materials and method:

The medical records and video recordings of 116 patients who presented to the voice clinic were reviewed for the presence of arytenoid asymmetry, as regards sharpening of the aryepiglottic fold angle and altered positioning of the cuneiform and corniculate cartilages.

Results:

There were 61 males and 55 females, with a mean age of 39 years and a standard deviation of 15 years. Almost one-third had a history of reflux, 25 per cent had a history of smoking and 9.6 per cent had a history of allergy. Hoarseness was the most common symptom, occurring in 42.2 per cent of patients, followed by vocal fatigue (25 per cent) and inability to project the voice. The most common type of asymmetry was corniculate asymmetry, present in 27.6 per cent of the cases and accounting for 74.39 per cent of cases. This was followed by cuneiform cartilage asymmetry, present in 15.5 per cent of cases. There was no correlation between arytenoid asymmetry and vocal symptoms, except for vocal fatigue (p = 0.038).

Conclusion:

The prevalence of arytenoid asymmetry during adduction is common. The presence of vocal symptoms such as hoarseness, breathiness, inability to project the voice and straining does not generally seem to correlate with the prevalence of arytenoid asymmetry. However, subjects with vocal fatigue are more likely to have cuneiform asymmetry.

Keywords

LarynxVoiceArytenoid Cartilages
Type
Main Articles
Information
The Journal of Laryngology & Otology , Volume 125 , Issue 3 , March 2011 , pp. 282 - 287
Copyright
Copyright © JLO (1984) Limited 2010

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