Sociodemographic variables of a German sample of patients with contact granuloma.

We report 28 German patients with contact granuloma (27 male, 1 female). Their mean age was 52 years (ranging from 35 to 70). Thirty-two percent were retired. The occupations of the others represented a wide range of different jobs. The majority of the sample had a middle educational level. Most patients lived with their family or with a partner. According to self-assessments, 68% had average daily strain on their speaking voice. All patients were nonsmokers. The patients felt themselves more disturbed by somatic troubles as the general population. Heartburn was felt by nearly half of the patients. A little more than half of the patients suffered from globus sensation. Thus, it is not possible at present to explain the laryngeal contact granuloma by sociodemographic data, vocal stress, or special somatic complaints in this sample. Therefore a multifactorial etiology should be supposed.