Gómez-Puerta José A, Cisternas Ariel, Hernández M Victoria, Ruiz-Esquide Virginia, Vilaseca Isabel, Sanmartí Raimon
Unidad de Artritis, Servicio de Reumatología, Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, Barcelona, España; División de Reumatología, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, EE. UU..
Servicio de Otorrinolaringología, Hospital San Juan de Dios, Santiago, Chile; Servicio de Otorrinolaringología, Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, Barcelona, España.
Reumatol Clin. 2014 Jan-Feb;10(1):32-6. doi: 10.1016/j.reuma.2013.04.006. Epub 2013 Jul 3.
To evaluate the larynx involvement in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in a clinical setting and correlate with the different clinical features related to more aggressive disease.
Cross-sectional study including 36 consecutive patients with RA. Reflux symptoms were evaluated by the Reflux Symptom Index (RSI) and vocal cord impairment by the Voice Handicap Index-10 (VHI-10). Laryngeal involvement was done by videolaryngostroboscopy (VLS).
The mean age was 56,3 ± 14 years with a mean disease duration of 2,6 ± 3,1 years (range 0-16 years). Voice use was considered as professional users in 33%. Twenty-four (67%) out of 36 patients had abnormal findings of VLS. One patient had larynx nodules (bamboo nodules). Eleven patients (31%) were diagnosed with muscle tension dysphonia, and there were symptoms and signs of pharyngeal-laryngeal reflux in 23 (64%) patients. No signs of cricoarytenoid joint impairment was found.
Organic larynx involvement was uncommon in patients with RA. However symptoms and signs of pharyngeal-laryngeal reflux were seen in around 60% of patients. There was no correlation between the clinical phenotype, severity of disease, immunological profile or treatment with VLS findings.
