Assessment of voice in patients with Reinke’s oedema after laser microsurgery.

A. Szkielkowska, B. Miaskiewicz, E. Wlodarczyk, H. Skarzynski

Objective: The aim of the study was to assess voice quality in patients with Reinke’s oedema treated with laser microsurgery.
Material: Material of the study included 45 patients at the age ranging from 23 to 65, admitted to Phoniatric Clinic due to dysphonia caused by Reinke’s oedema. Patients were divided into three groups depending on the extent of Reinke’s oedema. All patients were treated with CO₂ laser microsurgery.
Voice assessment was made subjectively with the GRBAS scale and objectively, using multidimensional voice program (MDVP). The examination was undertaken preoperatively, one week after surgery and four weeks after surgery.
Results: The results of our study show relationship between quality of voice after surgery and the stage of Reinke’s oedema according to the applied classification. The best quality of voice was found in young patients (up to the age of 30) with 1^st stage of Reinke’s oedema.

Corresponding author: Dr Agata Szkielkowska, MD, PhD
Institute of Physiology and Pathology of Hearing, Warsaw, Poland
Phone: +48 22 8355214 Fax : +48 22 8355214

A. Szkielkowska 1,2, B. Miaskiewicz 1, E. Wlodarczyk 1, H. Skarzynski1,2
1. Phoniatric Clinic of Institute of Physiology and Pathology of Hearing, Warsaw, Poland
2. Academy of Music, Warsaw, Poland
email: a.szkielkowska@ifps.org.pl