title: Clinico-etiolological study of vocal cord paralysis.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to identify patients of vocal cord paralysis and to establish an etiological diagnosis. Patients with vocal cord paralysis have been followed prospectively at a tertiary referral center. 120 patients identified with vocal cord paralysis by laryngeal endoscopy were evaluated clinically, radiologically and pathologically to make an etiological diagnosis. Those patients in whom no cause was found, a CT scan from base of skull to thorax was done before labeling them as idiopathic. Most of the patients presented in 5th (26.67 %) and 6th (21.67 %) decade. Males out numbered females in the ratio 2.3:1.0. The most common symptom of vocal cord paralysis was change in voice (98.21 %). Bilateral vocal cord palsy was found in 6.67 % patients and unilateral vocal cord palsy was found in 93.33 % patients. Among patients of unilateral vocal cord paralysis left vocal cord was paralyzed in 69.64 % and right cord in 30.36 %. Malignant (34.16 %) causes accounted for largest number of patients followed by central (15.00 %) and idiopathic causes (14.16 %). VCP has got a variable etiology which varies with the laterality of the vocal cord involvement. Malignant causes predominated in our series, occurring in 34.16 %, followed by central and idiopathic causes.
authors.affiliation: Department of ENT, Himalayan Institute of Medical Sciences, HIHT University, Swami Rama Nagar, Jolly Grant, Doiwala, Dehradun, India.
authors.forename: Jaya
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gupta
authors.affiliation: Department of ENT, Himalayan Institute of Medical Sciences, HIHT University, Swami Rama Nagar, Jolly Grant, Doiwala, Dehradun, India.
authors.forename: Saurabh
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Varshney
authors.affiliation: Department of ENT, Himalayan Institute of Medical Sciences, HIHT University, Swami Rama Nagar, Jolly Grant, Doiwala, Dehradun, India.
authors.forename: S S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Bist
authors.affiliation: Department of ENT, Himalayan Institute of Medical Sciences, HIHT University, Swami Rama Nagar, Jolly Grant, Doiwala, Dehradun, India.
authors.forename: Sanjeev
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bhagat
keywords: Bilateral vocal cord paralysis (BVCP); Etiology; Unilateral vocal cord paralysis (UVCP); Vocal cord paralysis (VCP)