title: Response of asthma-related voice dysfunction to allergen immunotherapy: a case report of confirmation by methacholine challenge.
abstract: Professional singers and other serious voice users are particularly susceptible to alterations in their vocal apparatus. As the support for vocalization, lung function is an essential element of the production of speech and song. Patients have been described who presented with voice complaints along with minimal or no abnormalities on spirometry, but responded to conventional bronchodilator and other asthma therapy. It was proposed that this represented an exercise-induced asthmalike condition, brought on by the hyperventilation associated with performing. The objective of this study was to establish whether improvement in vocalization while performing correlated with a decrease in non-specific bronchial reactivity. We concluded that resolution of vocal complaints in conjunction with a decrease in methacholine reactivity supports the hypothesis that these patients do have an exercise-induced asthmalike condition brought on by airway drying. As with other patients with asthma, it appears to respond to allergy-directed therapy.
authors.affiliation: Jefferson Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19107, USA. john.cohn@mail.tju.edu
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Cohn
authors.forename: R T
authors.initials: RT
authors.lastname: Sataloff
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Branton
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000420:Albuterol / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001249:Asthma / Q000150:complications*; D016085:Bronchoconstrictor Agents; D001993:Bronchodilator Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003888:Desensitization, Immunologic / Q000379:methods*; D004391:Dust / Q000009:adverse effects; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016210:Methacholine Chloride; D011058:Pollen / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000276:immunology*; D006255:Rhinitis, Allergic, Seasonal / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D014832:Voice Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology*
chemical_list: D016085:Bronchoconstrictor Agents; D001993:Bronchodilator Agents; D004391:Dust; D016210:Methacholine Chloride; D000420:Albuterol