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PurposeThis is a retrospective study to evaluate the results of surgical treatment of patients with pathological sulcus vocalis.MethodsThirty-six patients with pathological sulcus underwent surgery and in 33 cases were performed additional injection laryngoplasty. The pre- and postoperative evaluation of patients included the GRBAS scale, stroboscopic, and objective acoustic voice assessment. The Voice Handicap Index questionnaire (VHI-30) was also used and the scores were obtained from 33 patients.ResultsThe stroboscopic evaluation showed significant improvement of amplitude, mucosal wave, and glottal closure after treatment (p < 0.001). The VHI-30 scores decreased considerably indicating improvement due to the treatment for all aspects measured by VHI (p < 0.05, or p < 0.01). In all domains of GRBAS scale, the differences between preoperative and postoperative assessment were statistically significant (p < 0.001). We observed a significant change in Shim and APQ parameters (p < 0.05). Improvement was also observed in the sAPQ parameter, but it was not statistically significant (p = 0.051). For the remaining acoustic parameters, no changes were observed.ConclusionsThe surgical procedure with supplementary injection laryngoplasty of the vocal folds is a good treatment option for pathological sulcus vocalis. The post-treatment self-assessment indicates the significant improvement in VHI, just as perceptual–acoustic evaluation of voice does. Patients with pathological sulcus frequently present with amplitude disturbances, what explains their significant improvement after treatment.

Purpose In most cases, tinnitus co-exists with hearing loss, suggesting that poorer speech understanding is simply due to a lack of acoustic information reaching the central nervous system (CNS). However, it also happens that patients with tinnitus who have normal hearing also report problems with speech understanding, and it is possible to suppose that tinnitus is to blame for difficulties in perceptual processing of auditory information. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the auditory processing abilities of normally hearing subjects with and without tinnitus. Methods The study group comprised 97 adults, 54 of whom had normal hearing and chronic tinnitus (the study group) and 43 who had normal hearing and no tinnitus (the control group). The audiological assessment comprised pure-tone audiometry and high-frequency pure-tone audiometry, impedance audiometry, and distortion product oto-acoustic emission assessment. To evaluate possible auditory processing deficits, the Frequency Pattern Test (FPT), Duration Pattern Test (DPT), Dichotic Listening Test (DLT), and Gap Detection Threshold (GDT) tests were performed. Results The tinnitus subjects had significantly lower scores than the controls in the gap detection test (p < 0.01) and in the dichotic listening test (p < 0.001), but only for the right ear. The results for both groups were similar in the temporal ordering tests (FPT and DPT). Right-ear advantage (REA) was found for the controls, but not for the tinnitus subjects. Conclusion In normally hearing patients, the presence of tinnitus may be accompanied with auditory processing difficulties.

Introduction Laryngeal paralysis deteriorates all laryngeal functions. Therefore the therapeutic process must include restoration of respiratory, defensive and vocal function. Selection of a proper rehabilitation path plays a key role. Appropriate research protocol that includes objective methods of voice evaluation is an important element of monitoring the return of vocal efficiency. Voice efficiency is important for the patient particularly due to psychological and social reasons. Aim The aim of the study was the assessment of short-term functional voice therapy (FVT) in patients with unilateral paralysis of the larynx with the usage of objective parameters describing the glottis and voice quality. Material and Method During the last 10 years 355 patients with laryngeal paralysis were hospitalized in the Audiology and Phoniatrics Clinic due to dysphonia. All patients undergone 5-day FVT. From 2015 we unified diagnostic protocol measuring parameters obtained from videostrobokymography (VSK), electroglottography (EGG), perceptual and acoustic voice analysis before and after 5 day hospitalization. Results After FVT patients improved voice quality and glottal compensation. The majority of patients achieved a statistically significant improvement in the VSK, EGG, MDVP and perceptual analysis. Group of patients with unsatisfactory voice improvement after therapy required a prolonged rehabilitation or has been qualified for laryngeal microsurgery. Potential factors that could have cause insufficient effects of FVT were analysed. Conclusions The complexity of voice rehabilitation is crucial for the success of therapy. Interdisciplinary therapeutic team plays a significant role during voice rehabilitation in patients with vocal fold paralysis.

SUMMARY The purpose of this study was to measure the clinical profile of patients with sulcus who had concomitant benign lesions such as polyp, oedema, cyst, nodules, or fibrous mass of the vocal fold. We reviewed the medical charts of 38 patients who had a diagnosis of sulcus type 2 or 3 (according to Ford). The patients were classified into two groups. The study group consisted of 16 subjects who had sulcus and associated benign lesion; 22 patients diagnosed with sulcus alone were enrolled in a control group. We analysed psychosocial (Voice Handicap Index-30), auditory-perceptual (GRBAS), acoustic measures and videostroboscopic images. In the study group, the mean VHI-30 scores of all subscales ranged from moderate to severe handicap. The difference between groups was significant on the emotional (p = 0.004) and physical (p = 0.007) subscales. On GRBAS scale, the majority of patients from both groups exhibited mild hoarseness, breathiness, asthenic or strained voice, although roughness was more frequently rated moderate; the differences between groups were not statistically significant. The most abnormally increased values were achieved for amplitude values of acoustic parameters, but significant difference between groups was found in Soft Phonation Index only (p = 0.049). Concerning glottal closure, the most frequent finding was irregular chink in the study group, and spindle glottic chink in controls; we found significant differences between groups (p = 0.004). In both series of patients, the most frequent abnormal findings were moderately diminished amplitude and moderately restricted mucosal wave, with no significant difference between groups. Patients with sulcus and coexisting benign lesions were more handicapped on the emotional and physical subscales of VHI-30. The most characteristic shape of the glottal gap was irregular chink in the study group, and spindle chink in the control group. Acoustic evaluation of voice showed that the most severe disturbances affected amplitude parameters. The clinical characteristics indicated that the presence of sulcus primarily determines the quality of voice, and that additional benign pathologies do not drastically affect further voice deterioration. The coexistence of secondary benign vocal fold lesions aggravates the difficulties in making a preoperative diagnosis of sulcus. It is important to clinically suspect the possibility of coexistent sulcus to plan the correct treatment and obtain better voice outcomes.