title: Gender and age in benign vocal fold lesions.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Certain lesions appear to occur predominantly in one gender or in younger or older patients. We examined a large sample from a treatment-seeking population to describe gender and age associations of an array of benign vocal fold lesions.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective review.
  
  
  METHODS
  The medical records and evaluations of all adult patients presenting for care over a 5-year period were examined for demographic characteristics and lesion type. A total of 641 lesions in 602 patients were grouped into 13 broad categories, and prevalence was compared between male and female patients and three age groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Pseudocysts and bilateral midfold lesions occurred principally in young (18-39 years old) females (P < 0.0001). Reinke's edema was found in older (> 39 years old) women (P < 0.012). Polyps, contact lesions, leukoplakia (all P < 0.0001), and sulcus (P < 0.0002) were found predominantly in men.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Certain benign mucosal lesions are strongly associated with age and especially with gender. These differences may be explained by intrinsic differences in laryngeal anatomy and phonatory physiology in these groups, including differences in phonatory frequency and air pressure, and in the ability of the membranous vocal fold to withstand phonotrauma. Such inherent differences have implications for treatment expectations and approaches.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, North Shore - Long Island Jewish Health System, Bronx.
authors.forename: Alisa
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zhukhovitskaya
authors.forename: Danielle
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Battaglia
authors.forename: Sid M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Khosla
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Murry
authors.forename: Lucian
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sulica
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003560:Cysts / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007818:Laryngeal Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D007819:Laryngeal Edema / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D007822:Laryngeal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D007971:Leukoplakia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011127:Polyps / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D011230:Precancerous Conditions / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012737:Sex Factors; D014827:Vocal Cords; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: age; benign vocal fold lesion; contact lesion; gender; nodule; phonotrauma; polyp; pseudocyst