title: Major patterns of laryngeal electromyography and their clinical application.
abstract: Laryngeal electromyography (LEMG) is clinically valuable in the evaluation of laryngeal dysfunction and vocal fold immobility. To facilitate clinical application of this electrophysiologic test, a detailed description of modified LEMG techniques is presented. The techniques were applied for simultaneous bilateral recordings of the thyroarytenoid, cricothyroid, and posterior cricoarytenoid muscles. The basic patterns of LEMG are classified into three different types: normal, neuropathy, and myopathy. In an attempt to characterize these patterns, we have reported eight LEMG-documented cases: unilateral laryngeal paralysis, bilateral laryngeal paralysis, cricoarytenoid joint dislocation, cricoarytenoid joint ankylosis, laryngeal myopathy, pharyngeal paralysis (soft palate paralysis), spasmodic dysphonia, and unilateral laryngeal paralysis with anastomosis. The significance of the major LEMG patterns is discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Louisiana State University Medical Center, Shreveport 71130-3359, USA.
authors.forename: S S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Yin
authors.forename: W W
authors.initials: WW
authors.lastname: Qiu
authors.forename: F J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Stucker
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007818:Laryngeal Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D007830:Larynx / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010608:Pharyngeal Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology; D011999:Recruitment, Neurophysiological; D014832:Voice Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology