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Laryngeal electromyography findings of vocal fold immobility in patients after radiotherapy for nasopharyngeal carcinoma
Author(s) -
Hsieh YiLing,
Chang MingHong,
Wang ChenChi
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
head and neck
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.012
H-Index - 127
eISSN - 1097-0347
pISSN - 1043-3074
DOI - 10.1002/hed.23388
Subject(s) - medicine , nasopharyngeal carcinoma , recurrent laryngeal nerve , radiation therapy , vagus nerve , superior laryngeal nerve , electromyography , larynx , vocal cord paralysis , surgery , nerve injury , paralysis , thyroid , stimulation , psychiatry
Background The clinical features of vocal fold immobility (VFI) after radiotherapy for nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) have seldom been reported. Methods We retrospectively reviewed laryngeal electromyography (LEMG) and tumor study findings to elucidate the common clinical features of patients who presented with VFI after radiotherapy for NPC. The LEMG signals obtained from the cricothyroid and thyroarytenoid muscles were used to confirm superior laryngeal nerve (SLN) and recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) injury. Results The medical records of 13 patients were reviewed and 11 of them had evidence of RLN injury. Six of the 11 patients also had SLN injury, indicating possible vagus nerve (VN) injury. Two patients had cricoarytenoid joint fixation without evidence of nerve injury. None of the nerve injuries were caused by skull base recurrence or tumor metastasis. Conclusion VFI is usually caused by nerve injury, but it is not a malignant sign of tumor recurrence or metastasis. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck 36: 867–872, 2014