Voice profile after type I or II laser chordectomies for T1a glottic carcinoma.

BACKGROUND

Can a "typical" voice in terms of auditory perception be defined after type I or II chordectomy? Do other parameters in a multidimensional voice protocol correlate to this perceptual profile?

METHODS

Voice evaluation using a multidimensional voice protocol including perceptual (GRBAS; grade, roughness, breathiness, asthenia, strain scale), acoustic, aerodynamic, stroboscopic analyses, and self-assessment (Voice Handicap Index [VHI]) in a cohort of 37 consecutive patients with T1a midcord glottic carcinoma.

RESULTS

Sixty-five percent of patients had dysphonia, dominated by mild breathiness (mean grade 1.4). Voice Handicap was minimal (mean VHI 19). Acoustic and aerodynamic parameters were only mildly deviant. The correlations between perceptual analysis and the other parameters were weak.

CONCLUSION

The typical laser treated voice (type I or II resections) is characterized by mild breathiness in perceptual analysis. Correlations with other parameters, including patients' self assessment, are weak. Therefore, these outcomes do not form 1 integrated voice profile. This may have consequences for clinical decision-making.