1/3. aphonia and dysphagia after gastrectomy.A 67-year-old male was referred to our otolaryngological clinic because of aphonia and dysphagia. His voice was breathy and he could not even swallow saliva following a total gastrectomy for gastric carcinoma performed 2 weeks previously. Laryngeal fiberscopy revealed major glottal incompetence when he tried to phonate. However, both vocal folds abducted over the full range during inhalation. The patient could not swallow saliva because of a huge glottal chink, even during phonation. Based on these findings, he was diagnosed as having bilateral incomplete cricoarytenoid dislocation after intubation. The patient underwent speech therapy; within 1 min his vocal fold movement recovered dramatically and he was able to phonate and swallow. There have been few case reports of bilateral cricoarytenoid dislocation, and no effective rehabilitation has been reported. We believe that our method of vocal rehabilitation serves as a useful reference for physicians and surgeons worldwide.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = physician (Clic here for more details about this article) |
2/3. Semi-automated voice evaluation.This report describes a voice evaluation procedure that in some way parallels the audiologic tests used for hearing and has multiple uses both clinically and in research. It uses a simultaneous eight-channel input, is not difficult to use, requiring between 12 and 25 minutes to administer, and provides the physician with a printout in standardized form before the patient leaves the room. This three-page report includes 15 abstracted or calculated values, normal ranges by sex for each value, notes that draw attention to deviations from the normal, a summary profile, a graphic representation of the evaluation, and raw data waveforms.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = physician (Clic here for more details about this article) |
3/3. Sudden onset aphonia caused by a Japanese-style bath.An 86-year-old man was referred by his family physician to our clinic because of sudden onset aphonia immediately after a Japanese-style bath. On examination, the only abnormality was aphonia, with an otherwise normal physical examination. However, we found vocal fold oedema on laryngeal fibrescopy. For treatment, he was immediately given 30 mg prednisolone intravenously. Twelve hours after injection the oedema had completely disappeared and his aphonia had resolved. The patient was healthy for three months after returning home. However, at the beginning of a cold winter night he again complained of sudden onset hoarseness, after taking a Japanese-style bath. Japanese-style baths are completely different from Western-style baths. There is a temperature difference of almost 30 degrees C between the inside and outside of a bath; the transition may represent a type of physical exercise in elderly and exhausted individuals. This difference could cause a cold or heat-induced allergic reaction. We strongly recommend a laryngeal study in case of sudden onset aphonia.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = physician (Clic here for more details about this article) |