Prospective study to assess vocal cord palsy investigations.
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.
El Badawey
Mohamed Reda
MR
Freeman Hospital, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE7 7DN, UK. Mohamed.reda@nuth.nhs.uk
Punekar
Samad
S
Zammit-Maempel
Ivan
I
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