title: Quantitative electromyographic characteristics of idiopathic unilateral vocal fold paralysis.
abstract: Unilateral vocal fold paralysis with no preceding causes is diagnosed as idiopathic unilateral vocal fold paralysis. However, comprehensive guidelines for evaluating the defining characteristics of idiopathic unilateral vocal fold paralysis are still lacking. In the present study, we hypothesized that idiopathic unilateral vocal fold paralysis may have different clinical and neurologic characteristics from unilateral vocal fold paralysis caused by surgical trauma.
  
  
  
  Retrospective, case series study.
  
  
  
  Patients with unilateral vocal fold paralysis were evaluated using quantitative laryngeal electromyography, videolaryngostroboscopy, voice acoustic analysis, the Voice Outcome Survey, and the Short Form-36 Health Survey quality-of-life questionnaire. Patients with idiopathic and iatrogenic vocal fold paralysis were compared.
  
  
  
  A total of 124 patients were recruited. Of those, 17 with no definite identified causes after evaluation and follow-up were assigned to the idiopathic group. The remaining 107 patients with surgery-induced vocal fold paralysis were assigned to the iatrogenic group. Patients in the idiopathic group had higher recruitment of the thyroarytenoid-lateral cricoarytenoid muscle complex and better quality of life compared with the iatrogenic group.
  
  
  
  Idiopathic unilateral vocal fold paralysis has a distinct clinical presentation, with relatively minor denervation changes in the involved laryngeal muscles, and less impact on quality of life compared with iatrogenic vocal fold paralysis.
  
  
  
  4. Laryngoscope, 126:E362-E368, 2016.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biomedical Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.|Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Taipei, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Wei-Han
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Linkou, Taoyuan, Taiwan.|School of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Tuan-Jen
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Fang
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Linkou, Taoyuan, Taiwan.|School of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Hsueh-Yu
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biomedical Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Fu-Shan
authors.initials: FS
authors.lastname: Jaw
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Taoyuan, Taoyuan, Taiwan.|School of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Alice M K
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Linkou, Taoyuan, Taiwan. yspeii@gmail.com.|School of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan. yspeii@gmail.com.|Healthy Aging Research Center, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan. yspeii@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Yu-Cheng
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Pei
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004576:Electromyography / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007821:Laryngeal Muscles / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013517:Otorhinolaryngologic Surgical Procedures / Q000009:adverse effects; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D011788:Quality of Life; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013061:Speech Acoustics; D049489:Stroboscopy; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014826:Vocal Cord Paralysis / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D014827:Vocal Cords / Q000293:injuries / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000601:surgery; D014831:Voice
keywords: Unilateral vocal fold paralysis; laryngeal electromyography; quantitative electromyography; videolaryngostroboscopy; vocal cord palsy