Vocal fold injury following endotracheal intubation

Abstract

Vocal fold scarring results in the formation of fibrous tissue which disturbs the vibratory pattern of the fold during phonation. However, vocal fold scarring in humans is poorly understood because of the lack of clear case reports focusing on voice quality. The authors present a case of vocal fold scarring with changes in voice quality. At the time of injury the pedicle mucosa was cemented with fibrin glue. Phonation was inhibited for two weeks and tranilast (300 mg/day) was given for 3 months. Sixty-nine days later, perceptual evaluation showed a normal result and the phonation time became better, but the mucosal vibration was still lacking. Ninety-seven days later, mucosal vibration was finally restored. We suggest that characterization of vocal fold scarring in humans may be different from that in animals, and recommend that surgical management should be avoided for at least three months after injury.