title: Vocal cord paralysis: What matters between idiopathic and non-idiopathic cases?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study aims to evaluate the demographic and clinical characteristics of patients with idiopathic and non-idiopathic vocal cord paralysis (VCP).
  
  
  METHODS
  This retrospective cohort was performed on data extracted from medical files of 92 consecutive patients (43 males, 49 females; median age 52.1±23.1 years; min. 1 - max. 87) with VCP diagnosed in the otorhinolaryngology department between April 2012 and December 2015. Diagnoses associated with VCP, side of involvement (right, left or bilateral) and previous medical histories were noted and compared between patients with idiopathic and non-idiopathic VCP.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Vocal cord paralysis occurred on the left side (n=56, 60.9%), right side (n=28, 30.4%) or bilaterally (n=8, 8.7%). A clinical entity related with VCP was identified in 63 patients (68.5%), while 29 (31.5%) patients had idiopathic VCP. Most common etiologies for VCP were thyroid surgery (n=32, 34.8%), cardiovascular surgery (n=9, 9.8%), lung cancer (n=6, 6.5%) and cardiac anomalies (n=4, 4.3%), respectively. Patients with idiopathic VCP were significantly older (p<0.001), while gender distribution (p=0.121) and side of involvement (p=0.340) did not differ between two groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Vocal cord paralysis is a relatively common clinical entity with substantial rate of morbidity. Identification of the underlying etiology and awareness on the clinical characteristics are keystones for foreseeing complications and determining the appropriate therapeutic modality.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Başkent University İstanbul Hospital, 34662 Altunizade, Üsküdar, İstanbul, Turkey. ozbalayca@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Ayça Eltaf
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Özbal Koç
authors.forename: Seda Babakurban
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Türkoğlu
authors.forename: Ozan
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Erol
authors.forename: Selim
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Erbek
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000150:complications; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013961:Thyroid Gland / Q000601:surgery; D014826:Vocal Cord Paralysis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D055815:Young Adult