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Incidence of vocal cord dysfunction after fluoroscopically guided steroid injections in the axial skeleton
Atul L Bhat1, David W Chow, Michael J DePalma
1Orthopaedic Surgical Associates of Lowell PC, Lowell, MA, USA.
Objective:
To report on the incidence of dysphonia and/or associated throat symptoms after steroid injections in the axial skeleton.
Design:
A prospective cohort study.
Setting:
Academic spine center.
Participants:
Patients (N = 100) undergoing a diagnostic injection followed by a therapeutic injection in the axial skeleton.
Interventions:
Not applicable.
Main Outcome Measure:
Presence or absence of dysphonia and/or associated throat symptoms, as determined by completion of a predetermined 10-item questionnaire. This questionnaire was administered before participation in the study and at specific intervals after a diagnostic injection and, again, after a therapeutic spinal injection.
Results:
There was a 12% incidence of transient dysphonia and/or associated throat symptoms in this study population after a therapeutic injection.
Conclusions:
Throat symptoms are a potential, albeit transient side effect, after an epidural space corticosteroid injection. The mechanism through which dysphonia or other throat symptoms develop is unknown but appears to be mediated by a systemic steroid effect.
