Intraoral pressure in the evaluation of laryngeal function.

The difference in peak intraoral pressure between the consonants /p/ and /b/ (abbreviated as Pr./p-b/) showed a significant correlation with the transglottal pressure during consonant /b/ production. The values of Pr./p-b/ in subjects with vocal fold palsy were smaller than those in subjects with a cancer or polyp. The values of Pr./p-b/ divided by the estimated subglottal pressure in the subjects with cancers showed different distributions from those in subjects with palsies, polyps and in normal subjects. These parameters have potential benefit for the evaluation of pathological conditions of the glottis, especially for insufficient closure of the glottis and high stiffness of the vocal folds.