Improved surgical technique for epidermoid cysts of the vocal fold

An improved surgical technique for epidermoid cysts of the vocal fold is presented. This technique employs a specially designed double-bladed elevator. Following betamethasone injection around the cyst, an incision is made posterior to the cyst at its mediolateral midpoint. The incision is extended anteriorly over the cyst with the use of a double-bladed elevator. The cyst then is elevated carefully from the surrounding tissue and removed. A single incision line on the upper aspect of the vocal fold should be the result. Eight patients were operated on with the present technique. The voice was improved postoperatively in all patients. The voice improvement was reflected objectively in stroboscopic findings, maximum phonation time, airflow rate, fundamental frequency and intensity of phonation, and results of acoustic analyses of voice.