Prevalence and Severity of Dysphonia in Patients with Cystic Fibrosis: A Pilot Study.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the prevalence and severity of dysphonia in patients with cystic fibrosis sinusitis. We hypothesized that patients with CF sinusitis, compared with 2 control groups, would have higher self-reported prevalence of dysphonia and greater severity of dysphonia, according to patient-reported outcome measures as well as auditory-perceptual evaluation by expert listeners.


METHODS
Cross-sectional comparative pilot study.


METHODS
Academic tertiary care clinic.


METHODS
Analysis included 37 study participants: 17 patients with CF sinusitis, 10 healthy individuals, and 10 patients with non-CF sinusitis. All participants completed the 10-item Voice Handicap Index (VHI-10) questionnaire and provided voice samples. On all samples, 6 blinded speech-language pathologists independently performed auditory-perceptual evaluation, using Consensus Auditory-Perceptual Evaluation of Voice. To assess severity of sinonasal symptoms, we used the 20-item Sinonasal Outcome Test (SNOT-20). Standard parametric and nonparametric statistical analysis was performed.


RESULTS
The differences between the 3 groups in prevalence of abnormal VHI-10 scores were not statistically significant. SNOT-20 scores were similar in the 2 sinusitis patient groups. VHI-10 scores were highest in patients with CF sinusitis, intermediate in patients with non-CF sinusitis, and lowest in healthy individuals (P = .005). Auditory-perceptual evaluation demonstrated greater overall severity of dysphonia in patients with CF sinusitis compared with the 2 control groups (P = .0005).


CONCLUSIONS
Cystic fibrosis sinusitis appeared to be associated with worse vocal function as measured by patient self-report as well as auditory-perceptual evaluation of voice compared with patients with non-CF sinusitis and healthy controls. Further investigation in this area is warranted.
Lions Voice Clinic, Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA.
John
J
Willis
Lions Voice Clinic, Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA.
Deirdre D
DD
Michael
Lions Voice Clinic, Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA.
Holly
H
Boyer
Lions Voice Clinic, Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA smisono@umn.edu.
Stephanie
S
Misono
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003550:Cystic Fibrosis / Q000150:complications*; D055154:Dysphonia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D010865:Pilot Projects; D015995:Prevalence; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012852:Sinusitis / Q000150:complications*; D013065:Speech Intelligibility; D013068:Speech Production Measurement; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
auditory-perceptual; chronic sinusitis; cystic fibrosis; dysphonia; sinusitis; voice handicap