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Sulcus Vocalis: Results of Excision Without Reconstruction
Author(s) -
Andreadis Katerina,
Hoffman Katherine,
D'Angelo Debra,
Sulica Lucian
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
the laryngoscope
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.181
H-Index - 148
eISSN - 1531-4995
pISSN - 0023-852X
DOI - 10.1002/lary.28378
Subject(s) - medicine , sulcus , vascularity , surgery , confidence interval , vocal folds , wilcoxon signed rank test , surgical excision , larynx , radiology , mann–whitney u test
Objective Sulcus is an epithelial invagination of the membranous vocal fold. Its phonatory effects are usually attributed to fibrosis, thinning, and/or the absence of the superficial lamina propria (SLP). Surgical treatment is typically focused on reconstruction of the SLP. The purpose of this study is to assess the effects of excision without SLP reconstruction or replacement. Methods Records of patients who underwent surgical treatment of sulcus vocalis (Ford type 3) by excision without reconstruction were reviewed for demographic and historical information. Pre‐ and postoperative stroboscopic examinations were evaluated blindly by fellowship‐trained laryngologists using a modified Voice‐Vibratory Assessment with Laryngeal Imaging assessment. A Wilcoxon signed‐rank test was used to compare pre‐ and postoperative amplitude, mucosal wave, nonvibrating portion, regularity, erythema, and vascularity. Results Examinations of 16 vocal folds in 13 patients (8 females:5 males; mean age = 30 years, range 13 to 48 years) were evaluated by six raters each, yielding 168 sets of observations. Statistically significant improvement was seen in amplitude (95% confidence interval [CI] 3.6,14.3), mucosal wave (95% CI 6.1, 17.9), nonvibrating portion (95% CI −19.6, −2.7), erythema (95% CI −19.9, −3.3), and vascularity (95% CI −19.0, −0.75). The parameter of regularity, although improved, did not prove to be significant. Conclusion Excision alone appears to be an adequate and generally successful treatment for sulcus vocalis (Ford type 3). In contrast to established paradigms, restoration of the SLP does not appear to be essential to meaningful clinical improvement. Significant pathologic effects of sulcus vocalis may result from epithelial abnormalities alone. Level of Evidence 4 Laryngoscope , 130:2208–2212, 2020