Our voice is integral to our personality and serves in a way as our signature.In today's world, communication is playing an even greater role with the variety of professional voice users encompassing actors, disc jockeys, radio jockey's, news commentators besides of course singers...
Learn more...Imagine getting up one fine morning with no voice. A term referred to in medical circles as ?Aphonia?. That?s exactly what happened to Tanya (name changed) one week ago due to paralysis of one of her vocal folds. In her case the diagnosis of ?idiopathic vocal fold palsy? has been made, which is another way [...]
Medication is warranted in laryngitis and laryngopharyngeal reflux.Voice therapy is the first line of management for vocal fold nodules, early polyps, ventricular phonation, bowed vocal fold and vocal fold...
Conventional surgery for removal of polyps and cysts involves holding them and amputating them at there base. This results in the loss of a certain amount of normal tissue. With better understanding of the importance of the layered microstructure of the vocal folds, laryngologists try to preserve as much normal tissue as possible. This is achieved by "Microflap Surgery" in which a microscopic flap is elevated of the first layer and then the lesion is precisely dissected out. The first layer (epithelium) is then draped back in position. This technique can be used for vocal fold polyps, vocal cysts ,early vocal carcinoma or precancerous lesions.
Vocal fold cysts and polyps usually need surgical excision unlike vocal fold nodules which respond very well with voice therapy.
Sulcus vocalis is an absence of the second layer of the vocal fold called Superficial Lamina Propria. Occasionally the third layer (Vocal ligament) may be absent in places.
This leads to the formation of a gutter-like depression which hampers vibration of the vocal folds. Voice therapy may not give adequate benefit and surgery to recreate this layer may be performed. Fat is a common substance used to create an artificial lamina propria, however, surgeries for sulcus do not give a very good vocal outcome and the patient must be forewarned of this.