The association of sulcus vocalis and benign vocal cord lesions: intraoperative findings

To investigate the presence of sulcus vocalis in patients who underwent phonomicrosurgery due to benign vocal cord lesions.

Between January 2013 and June 2018, the records of 133 patients who underwent operations for benign vocal fold pathology were retrospectively reviewed. Intraoperative findings of the patients were noted. Patients were divided into two groups: patients with only benign vocal fold lesions (BVFL) and patients with benign vocal fold lesions and accompanying sulcus vocalis (SV + BVFL).

In total, 67 patients (50.4%; 38 females, 29 males) had BVFL and 66 (49.6%; 37 females, 29 males) had SV + BVFL. The patients in the SV + BVFL group were significantly younger than those in the BVFL group (p = 0.039). The sulcus was unilateral in 60.6% of the patients. The presence of sulcus vocalis was 49% and 47.6% in patients with a diagnosis of polyps (n = 51) and cysts (n = 42), respectively. A total of 12 of 13 patients with multiple benign vocal fold lesions had accompanying sulcus vocalis.

Approximately half of the patients who underwent operations for benign vocal fold lesions had accompanying sulcus vocalis. More than half of the sulcus associated with benign lesions was unilateral.