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Review
. 2023 Apr;43(Suppl 1):S84-S94.
doi: 10.14639/0392-100X-suppl.1-43-2023-11.

Treatment of relapsing functional and organic dysphonia: a narrative literature review

Carlo Robotti  1 , Francesco Mozzanica  2 , Maria Rosaria Barillari  3 , Marcella Bono  4 , Giancarlo Cacioppo  4 , Francesca Dimattia  4 , Marco Gitto  4 , Sara Rocca  4 , Antonio Schindler  4
Affiliations
Review

Treatment of relapsing functional and organic dysphonia: a narrative literature review

Carlo Robotti et al. Acta Otorhinolaryngol Ital. 2023 Apr.

Abstract

Trattamento delle disfonie funzionali e organiche recidivanti: una review narrativa.

Riassunto: La conoscenza del possibile fallimento terapeutico e delle recidive è cruciale per decidere se e come trattare una patologia, così come nel counseling del paziente. Questo lavoro si propone di affrontare una revisione non sistematica dei fallimenti e delle recidive dopo trattamento della disfonia nell’adulto. Sono stati analizzati diversi lavori in tema di lesioni cordali benigne, disfonia funzionale e disfonia neurogena. La frequenza e la durata del follow-up sono eterogenee, e la gestione delle recidive è descritta solo in alcuni lavori. Le recidive dopo chirurgia per lesioni benigne variano tra l’1% e il 58% dei casi, e sono gestite primariamente mediante revisione chirurgica. I tassi di recidiva dopo logopedia per disfonia funzionale e disfonia spasmodica sono pari a 12%-88% e 8%-63%, rispettivamente. Le recidive dopo chirurgia per paralisi cordale unilaterale e bilaterale sono pari a 10%-39% e 6%-25%, rispettivamente; la loro gestione è eminentemente chirurgica. In conclusione, i fallimenti e le recidive delle disfonie funzionali e organiche dopo terapia non sono infrequenti, ma le relative modalità di trattamento non sono spesso descritte. Le analisi della presente revisione non sistematica sottolineano la necessità di ulteriori ricerche in questo ambito.

Keywords: failure; functional dysphonia; organic dysphonia; relapse.

Plain language summary

Information about failure and relapses is critical in deciding whether and how to treat a given condition, as well as during patient counselling before therapy. This paper aims to perform a non-systematic review of relapses and failure of dysphonia treatment in the adult population. Studies on failure and relapses after treatment of benign vocal fold lesions, functional dysphonia and neurogenic dysphonia were analysed. The frequency and the duration of follow-up were heterogeneous, and the management of relapses was reported in only a portion of the studies. Relapses after surgical treatment of benign vocal fold lesions ranged between 1% and 58% of cases, and their management was mainly surgical. Rates of relapse after voice therapy for functional dysphonia and spasmodic dysphonia were 12%-88% and 8%-63%, respectively. Rates of relapse after surgical treatment for unilateral and bilateral vocal fold paralysis were 10%-39% and 6%-25%, respectively; treatment was mainly represented by surgical revision. In conclusion, failure and relapses of functional and organic dysphonias after therapy are not rare, but treatment modalities are seldomly reported. The data from this non-systematic review stresses the need for further research in this area.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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