Steroid injection for Reinke's edema using fiberoptic laryngeal surgery.
OBJECTIVE
Since 1990, we have performed steroid injections into the vocal fold under topical anesthesia using fiberoptic laryngeal surgery (FLS) in an outpatient clinic. The aim of this study was to retrospectively assess the usefulness of this treatment method in 44 patients with mild Reinke's edema.


METHODS
Using fiberoptic monitoring of the larynx, a curved injection needle was inserted via the oral cavity and triamcinolone acetonide was injected into Reinke's space of the bilateral vocal fold.


RESULTS
Remission or improvement was observed in almost all patients in terms of both patients' self-rating of hoarseness and endoscopic vocal fold findings The maximum phonation time was a mean of 9.0 s before operation and 11.4 safter operation, and this increase was significant (p < 0.01). Voice pitch also improved, from 168 to 181 Hz, in female patients, and this increase was also significant (p < 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Steroid injection is considered to be useful for treating mild Reinke's edema.
Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan.
Ichiro
I
Tateya
Koichi
K
Omori
Hisayoshi
H
Kojima
Shigeru
S
Hirano
Ken-Ichi
K
Kaneko
Juichi
J
Ito
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005260:Female; D005336:Fiber Optic Technology; D006685:Hoarseness / Q000188:drug therapy; D006801:Humans; D007267:Injections; D007819:Laryngeal Edema / Q000628:therapy*; D007827:Laryngitis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D007828:Laryngoscopy / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010699:Phonation; D012008:Recurrence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014222:Triamcinolone Acetonide / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D014833:Voice Quality / Q000187:drug effects
D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D014222:Triamcinolone Acetonide