title: Prospective study to assess vocal cord palsy investigations.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the investigation and clinical outcome of patients presenting with unexplained vocal cord palsy (VCP).
  
  
  METHODS
  A prospective cohort study designed to evaluate 86 patients with unexplained VCP presenting to our tertiary referral center.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twenty-four (36%) patients had positive findings on CT scanning. Twenty-one (24%) cases showed mediastinal adenopathy +/- pulmonary mass. The other three cases were a thoracic aneurysm, prostatic metastasis below the skull base, and a postcricoid tumor. Follow-up period was 18 to 66 months. Fifteen (24%) of the 62 patients with negative radiology recovered full vocal cord movement.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  CT neck +/- chest plays an important role in the evaluation of VCP patients. The majority of pertinent radiologic findings involve malignant neoplasm.
authors.affiliation: Freeman Hospital, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE7 7DN, UK. Mohamed.reda@nuth.nhs.uk
authors.forename: Mohamed Reda
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: El Badawey
authors.forename: Samad
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Punekar
authors.forename: Ivan
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Zammit-Maempel
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003390:Cranial Nerve Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011446:Prospective Studies; D020127:Recovery of Function; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014630:Vagus Nerve; D014826:Vocal Cord Paralysis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy