SUMMARY
Objectives
Current treatments for benign vocal lesions consist mainly voice therapy and phonomicrosurgery.
However, these options are not always suitable for professional voice users because
of their tight performance schedule and limited time for voice rest. This study investigated
vocal fold steroid injection (VFSI) as an alternative treatment.
Study Design
Matched case series.
Methods
We retrospectively enrolled 28 professional voice users (i.e., singers, actors and
news anchors) who received VFSI for vocal nodules and polyps in an office setting
of a tertiary teaching hospital. Outcomes were evaluated using videolaryngostroboscopy
(VLS), the 10-item Voice Handicap Index (VHI-10), maximum phonation time, and acoustic
and perceptual analyses before and 1 month after VFSI. Study results were compared
with 56 patients of nonprofessional voice users (i.e., routine or high occupational
vocal demands), matched in a 1:2 ratio by age, sex, and treatment date.
Results
After VFSI, VLS revealed substantial lesion resolution in 82% professional voice users.
One professional voice user developed a self-limited vocal fold hematoma after VFSI.
VHI-10 scores in the professional group decreased from 21 to 14 points, compared with
23 to 16 points in the non-professional group, demonstrating a significant within-group
effect (P < 0.01, GEE) and a nonsignificant between-group effect (P = 0.86). Other outcomes also improved significantly after VFSI (P < 0.05), without significant differences between the two groups.
Conclusion
VFSI can be an effective and safe alternative treatment for professional voice users
with benign vocal lesions.
KEYWORDS
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: March 08, 2021
Accepted:
February 2,
2021
Footnotes
Conflict of interest: None
Acknowledgement: This study was supported by research grants from Far Eastern Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan (FEMH-2020-C-061)
Identification
Copyright
© 2021 The Voice Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
