Treatment success for age-related vocal fold atrophy.

OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS: To characterize perceived voice handicap of patients diagnosed with vocal fold atrophy and review treatment success.

STUDY DESIGN

Retrospective study.

METHODS

Two hundred seventy-five patients diagnosed with vocal fold atrophy (January 2007-January 2009) were reviewed from a preexisting clinical database. Outcome measures included pre/post-treatment Voice Handicap Index-10 and data from a voice therapy discharge survey.

RESULTS

Five groups emerged from the data set. Group A: patients who had no follow-up (69%). After removing group A from the data set, the following groups emerged: group B: patients who had no treatment but some follow-up (31%); group C: patients who had voice therapy only (44%); group D: patients who had surgery only (15%); and group E: patients who had voice therapy first and subsequent surgery (9%). The perceived voice handicap severity was worse for groups C and D compared to groups A, B, and E. Treatment success outcomes showed that groups C (36%), D (56%), and E (17%) only improved marginally. However, 81% of patients diagnosed with atrophy believed that voice therapy helped them but only by 48%.

CONCLUSIONS

Treatment success for age-related vocal fold atrophy is poor to moderately poor for this cohort of patients.