You searched for "dysphonia"

236 results found

Voice after posterior cordotomy: we think voice is bad, patients think it’s better!

Bilateral vocal fold immobility (BVFI) is a condition that can affect voice with an impact on quality of life (QOL). Surgical trauma from damage to bilateral recurrent laryngeal nerves, such as from previous thyroid, parathyroid, or mediastinal surgery are common...

Laryngeal cleft in a 66-year-old man!

This is a fascinating case report of a 66-year-old man who presented with a carcinoma of the piriform sinus. During chemoradiotherapy, he developed dyspnoea, dysphagia and aspiration pneumonia. His chemoradiotherapy was stopped and he underwent a pharygnolaryngectomy. When the surgical...

Mondini dysplasia and cochlear implantation

Approximately 20-28% of sensorineural hearing loss in children arises due to a cochlear malformation. Mondini dysplasia includes a cochlear with one and a half turns and an incomplete interscalar septum. Cochlear implantation is a common treatment protocol for children with...

Treating voice disorders in singers

There are few ENT surgeons who have as much insight into singers’ problems as Nick Gibbins. A good knowledge of working patterns, repertoire and the physiology of ‘vocal athletes’ is essential. He shares a few thoughts with us. When deciding...

Radiation-induced dysphagia in head and neck cancer

This is a helpful reference paper that provides an overview of the biomolecular effects of radiation on the tissues of the upper aero-digestive tract. The authors explain that radiation injuries occur in a repetitive and accruing manner over the duration...

How common are swallowing problems in a general adult population?

This paper reports on the largest cross-continent study to date, looking at the prevalence of swallowing problems reported by adults in the community aged 18-65 years old. The authors used the Eating Assessment Tool (EAT-10) distributed via an online survey...

How do objective ratings of swallowing compare with patient-reported dysphagia QOL measures in the head and neck cancer population?

Swallowing may be assessed by a comprehensive battery of tools including instrumental/objective assessments, clinician-rated measures and patient-reported measures. The authors of this paper use secondary analysis to explore concordance between videofluoroscopy and a patient-reported dysphagia quality of life (QOL) measure....

Does the appearance, texture, and flavour of food affect how we swallow?

Texture modification and the use of thickened fluids are well-known strategies used to facilitate swallowing in people with dysphagia. However, some controversy exists around thickeners and their possible negative impact on hydration and medication absorption. This paper considers other properties...

Can prediction models help identify dysphagia in ventilated patients?

Dysphagia commonly affects patients in intensive care units (ICU), particularly those on mechanical ventilation, and is associated with high risk of mortality. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to identify predictors for dysphagia in ventilated ICU patients by summarising existing...

Swallowing the risk: managing dysphagia in aged care

The risk of dysphagia increases with age and the prevalence of dysphagia in aged care facilities is 41–52%. Dysphagia increases the risk of aspiration, asphyxiation, malnutrition, pneumonia and ultimately death. Modifying food and fluids, by providing mashed or pureed foods...

Swallow this: management of dysphagia post-stroke

We know that between 50% and 80% of people who have had a stroke present with swallowing difficulties that may be associated with even a small lesion of the cortical or subcortical brain regions. This article provides an up-to-date overview...

Risky behaviour: do care homes follow dysphagia recommendations?

A huge proportion of elderly people living in residential care homes will develop dysphagia. In Australia this is estimated at close to two thirds of all residents. It is the role of the speech and language therapist to make recommendations...