title: Incidence of abnormal laryngeal findings in asymptomatic singing students.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Abnormalities in the mucosal lining of the vocal folds may interfere with the normal vibratory patterns and result in vocal limitations, especially for singers whose demands are great. A prospective, longitudinal study was undertaken to investigate the incidence of laryngeal abnormalities in asymptomatic singing students.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty-five singing students at the school of music underwent videostroboscopic evaluation and completed a comprehensive questionnaire. Videos were rated by 3 experienced clinicians, and interrater reliability was calculated. Results were correlated with demographic factors, background medical history, and singing history.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Five students (8.3%) exhibited early signs of benign vocal fold lesions (2 with nodules and 3 with cysts). A high incidence of posterior erythema (n = 44; 73.4%), suggesting possible reflux, was found.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A surprisingly high number of otherwise asymptomatic singing students demonstrated abnormal laryngeal findings. Their relationship with vocal performance will be addressed as well as implications for preventative measures.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology and the School of Music, University of Miami, Florida, USA.
authors.forename: D S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Lundy
authors.forename: R R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Casiano
authors.forename: P A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Sullivan
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Roy
authors.forename: J W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Xue
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Evans
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005764:Gastroesophageal Reflux / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D007830:Larynx / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D009146:Music; D016272:Occupational Health; D010612:Pharyngitis / Q000473:pathology; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D013334:Students; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014827:Vocal Cords / Q000473:pathology*