Teflon injection for unilateral vocal cord paralysis and its effect on lung function

Area of Science:

• Otolaryngology
• Pulmonology
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Unilateral vocal cord paralysis (UVCP) significantly impacts quality of life, often stemming from malignant conditions.
• Teflon injection is a common treatment for UVCP, aiming to improve vocal function and reduce aspiration.
• Assessing the impact of Teflon injection on pulmonary function is crucial for a comprehensive understanding of treatment outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To prospectively analyze the effects of Teflon injection on lung function in patients with UVCP.
• To evaluate changes in spirometry and flow-volume loops post-Teflon injection.
• To correlate pulmonary function changes with clinical symptom improvement in aspiration and dysphonia.

Main Methods:

• Prospective analysis of 22 patients diagnosed with unilateral vocal cord paralysis.
• Pre- and post-treatment assessment using full spirometric studies and flow-volume loop analysis.
• Evaluation of patient-reported symptom scores for aspiration and dysphonia.

Main Results:

• Teflon injection resulted in a measurable increase in airway resistance, though this was not clinically apparent.
• Patients experienced greater improvement in symptom scores for aspiration compared to dysphonia.
• Underlying malignant conditions were the primary cause of UVCP in the majority of patients.

Conclusions:

• Teflon injection for UVCP can lead to subtle, non-clinically significant increases in airway resistance.
• The procedure demonstrates a greater positive impact on aspiration symptoms than on voice quality.
• Pulmonary function monitoring can provide objective data on the effects of Teflon injection in UVCP patients.