title: Laboratory Evaluation of Vocal Fold Paralysis and Paresis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study aimed to assess the value of comprehensive laboratory evaluation in patients with vocal fold paralysis or paresis.
  
  
  METHODS
  This is a retrospective chart review.
  
  
  METHODS
  Records of 231 patients with vocal fold paralysis or paresis were reviewed to determine whether there is a significant increase in the number of abnormal test results compared with rates of abnormal results for these tests in the general population and whether testing resulted in clinically important diagnosis. Laboratory data were collected from charts from initial visits from 2010 to 2014 and compared with national data.
  
  
  RESULTS
  When controlled for age and sex, white blood cell count was found to have a significantly higher rate of abnormal test results (P < 0.001) in patients with vocal fold paralysis or paresis than the general population. Although hemoglobin, thyroid-stimulating hormone, and thyroid antibody tests were more likely to be abnormal in our patient population, the trend was not statistically significant. Further, the prevalence of syphilis and myasthenia gravis was found to be higher in these subjects than their respective national prevalences, and the incidence of Lyme disease was found to be higher than the national prevalence of Lyme disease. Several patients were diagnosed with medically important conditions such as diabetes, thyroid dysfunction, syphilis, myasthenia gravis, and Lyme disease based on these tests.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study suggests that comprehensive testing of patients with vocal fold movement disorders results in diagnoses that would be missed without a comprehensive evaluation, some of which are important medically, although their causal relationship to vocal fold paralysis or paresis was not investigated or established.
authors: Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
authors: Michelle
authors: M
authors: White
authors: Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
authors: Kirsten
authors: K
authors: Meenan
authors: Department of Radiology, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
authors: Tirth
authors: T
authors: Patel
authors: Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
authors: Aaron
authors: A
authors: Jaworek
authors: Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Clinical Academic Specialties, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Electronic address: journal@voicefoundation.org.
authors: Robert T
authors: RT
authors: Sataloff
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D055154:Dysphonia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008193:Lyme Disease / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009157:Myasthenia Gravis / Q000453:epidemiology; D015143:Philadelphia / Q000453:epidemiology; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D015995:Prevalence; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012698:Serologic Tests; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013587:Syphilis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D014826:Vocal Cord Paralysis / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D014827:Vocal Cords / Q000503:physiopathology*; D014833:Voice Quality
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers
keywords: Blood tests; Dysphonia; Hoarseness; Laboratory tests; Vocal fold paralysis; Vocal fold paresis; Work-up for dysphonia