Objective voice quality analysis before and after onset of unilateral vocal fold paralysis.

This study was designed to investigate objective voice quality measurements in unilateral vocal fold paralysis (UVFP) by eliminating intersubject variability. To our knowledge this is the first report objectively analyzing paralytic dysphonia as compared to the same voice before onset of UVFP. The voices of two male subjects were prospectively recorded before and after the onset of iatrogenic UVFP (thoracic surgery). The following acoustic measurements of the vowel /a/ were performed using the CSL and MDVP (Kay Elemetrics): jitter, shimmer, harmonics-to-noise ratio, cepstral peak prominence, the relative energy levels of the first harmonic, the first formant and the third formant, the spectral slope in the low-frequency zone (0-1 kHz and 0-2 kHz), and the relative level of energy above 6 kHz. Distribution of spectral energy was analyzed from a long-term average spectrum of 40 seconds of text. Laryngeal aerodynamic measurements were obtained for one patient before and after onset of paralysis using the Aerophone II (Kay Elemetrics). Pitch and amplitude perturbation increased secondary to UVFP, while the harmonics-to-noise ratio and the cepstral peak prominence decreased. A relative increase in the mid-frequency and high-frequency ranges and a decrease in the low-frequency spectral slope were observed. Mean airflow rate and intraoral pressure increased, and glottal resistance and vocal efficiency decreased secondary to UVFP. The findings of this self-paired study confirm some but not all the results of previous studies. Measures involving the fundamental and the formants did not corroborate previous findings. Further investigation with vocal tract modeling is warranted.

Objective voice analysis after autologous fat injection for unilateral vocal fold paralysis.

This study was designed to objectively compare a patient's voice after onset of unilateral vocal fold paralysis (UVFP) to his or her own normal voice, and to compare the results after treatment by intrafold injection of autologous fat. Acoustic recordings were obtained for 2 male patients before thoracic surgery and after the onset of iatrogenic left UVFP. Vocal fold augmentation was performed 10 days after UVFP. The acoustic recordings were repeated within 3 days and at 1 month. The phonation quotient, pitch perturbation quotient, amplitude perturbation quotient, harmonics-to-noise ratio, cepstral peak prominence, and long-term average spectrum were analyzed. All parameters improved after treatment, with a return to preparalytic values for most. During the first month, some deterioration was noted. This is the first study comparing a subject's own normal voice to his or her voice after vocal fold augmentation. We recommend overinjection of fat if vocal fold atrophy is expected.

Management of advanced-stage laryngeal cancer.

Although the total laryngectomy is still the most reliable and simplest method for treating advanced laryngeal carcinoma, the shortcomings of the sequelae of the procedure have provided a constant challenge for improvement and change. Two alternatives that have shown some success are the Pearson near-total laryngectomy and the supracricoid partial laryngectomy with cricohyoidopexy and with cricohyoidoepiglottopexy. This article covers the procedural differences between these alternatives to the total laryngectomy.

Carcinoma of the laryngeal margin.

The laryngeal margin constitutes an anatomic and clinical entity that differs from what is commonly referred to as supraglottic. The present retrospective study reviews 189 cases of carcinomas occurring in this specifically defined region. Local, nodal, and distant metastatic spread of these tumors varied depending on whether the initial tumor site was located in the anterior or lateral margin. Treatment regimens were planned according to the tumor's origin. Primary tumor site surgery associated with a modified or radical neck dissection according to N staging, followed by postoperative radiation is advocated for treatment of these tumors. Cervical nodal metastases are frequent and often bilateral (36%) in cases of anterior margin carcinoma suggesting that bilateral neck dissection sparing two jugular veins for N0 staged carcinoma and one jugular vein when there is evidence of a palpable node, be routinely used. Nodal involvement in cases of lateral margin carcinoma is also frequent but is almost exclusively confined to the ipsilateral nodes. It is suggested that homolateral neck dissection therefore be systematically associated with primary tumor site surgery for these tumors. The various anatomical aspects and pathways of extension of laryngeal margin carcinoma are discussed and a modified TNM classification is proposed.