Clinical evolution of laryngeal granulomas: treatment and prognosis.

OBJECTIVE/HYPOTHESIS: To study the response to treatment by patients with granulomas not related to surgery, considering their respective causes.

METHODS

Retrospective study of larynx granulomas seen at the Instituto da Laringe (Sao Paulo, Brazil) from June 1996, totaling 66 patients, being 20 (30,3%) diagnosed with gastroesophageal reflux syndrome, 22 (33,3%) due to vocal abuse, 15 (22,7%) to postorotracheal intubation, and 9 (13,6%) of idiopathic cause.

FINDINGS: Of the 66 patients diagnosed, 10 did not start the treatment, with only 56 being analyzed, 6 of whom later abandoned the treatment. The cause-oriented treatment showed 100% control in postintubation granulomas. In the cases of reflux and vocal abuse, the success rates when considering only the cause were 75% and 87.5%, respectively. In the cases of undefined cause, all were subjected to surgical removal with or without clinical or speech-therapy treatment; we attained only a 37.5% success rate in the first trial. Of these, after various unsuccessful rescue treatments, three which were treated with botulinum toxin type A had 100% resolution. The recurrence percentage varied according to the cause, being nonexistent in the postintubation cases, 21.4% in patients with reflux esophagitis, 35.2% in vocal abuse, and 62.5% in those of idiopathic etiology.

CONCLUSION

Of the laryngeal granulomas, the best prognoses were given by the postintubation ones, whereas the worst were those of undefined cause. Those ascribed to gastroesophageal reflux and vocal abuse have a high resolution rate, although some cases need rescue procedures.