SUMMARY
Objectives
To describe our experience in diagnosis, evaluation, management and evolution of adult
patients diagnosed with vocal fold hemorrhage (VFH) in the Voice Unit at Universidad
Católica Clinical Hospital Santiago, Chile.
Study design
Retrospective chart review.
Methods
Adult patients diagnosed with VFH between 2012 and 2020 were included. Demographic
data, medical and vocal history, vocal symptoms and questionnaires, laryngeal videostroboscopy,
treatment, and follow-up controls were reviewed.
Results
A total of 34 patients were included, 52.9% (18) patients were female and 47.1% (16)
male. Mean age was 42 years (22-76 years) and 47.1% were professional voice users.
Principal voice symptoms were dysphonia (32/34), vocal fatigue (21/34) and throat
clearing (17/34). Twenty-six (76.5%) patients had VFH and a concomitant lesion in
the same vocal fold (VF), being a hemorrhagic polyp the most prevalent associated
lesion (61.8%). All patients were managed initially with voice rest, showing improvement
at first follow up visit according to VRQOL-STD (mean difference -32.43, P = 0.009) and VHI-10 (mean difference 11.22, P = 0.036), and laryngeal videostroboscopic resolution in 66.7% (8/12) at a mean 12.5
(range 6-30) days.
Conclusions
VFH is an infrequent phonotraumatic condition. More studies are needed to advance
in knowledge of this pathology as there is contradictory evidence in the literature
regarding predisposing factors, evolution and prognosis of this condition.
KEY WORDS
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: September 27, 2022
Accepted:
July 25,
2022
Publication stage
In Press Corrected ProofFootnotes
Institution where work was performed: Hospital Clínico, Facultad de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile.
Identification
Copyright
© 2022 The Voice Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
