Author(s)
Nicholas Beckmann1,2, Steven Cox1,2, Anthony Sheyn1,2
Affiliation(s)
1 Univeristy Of Tennessee Health Science Center, 2 St. Jude's Children Research Hospital
Abstract:
Objectives: To evaluate our experience with non-thyroidal, primarily brain malignancy, vocal cord paralysis (VCP) patients and their swallow response to vocal cord related therapies. Background: VCP can come from a variety of causes including congenital, traumatic, neurologic, malignancies, iatrogenic, or medications. Complications from this pathology can lead to voice, swallowing, and respiratory difficulties. There is significant amount of information in children after undergoing cardiac or thyroid surgery and their voicing and swallowing outcomes; compared to patients with brain malignancies there is not as much information. Methods: Retrospective study evaluating the treatment course of 26 patients developed either unilateral or bilateral VCP from their tumor or treatment regimen. Chart review looking for overall diagnoses, treatment, cord pathology, management (observation or speech therapy +/- injection), duration of therapy, and evaluation of pre/postoperative swallow studies. Results: 26 patients were identified who had a variety of malignancies. The majority, were secondary to neurologic malignancy. 23 of the patients had pre-treatment swallow studies available, 14 with post treatment swallow studies. Despite the treatment, the majority of patients succeeded on post swallow study evaluation, 90%. Within that group the majority received just speech therapy (7). 7 patients underwent injection with 80% success on post operative swallow study, with 2 currently pending. Conclusions: Patients with VCP secondary to malignancy can have an improvement with their swallow with a variety of treatments. It appears that improvements were seen faster with patients that underwent injection compared to speech alone, but more patients are needed to draw a definitive conclusion.