Causes of Vocal Fold Paralysis.

Area of Science:

• Otolaryngology
• Neurology
• Oncology

Background:

• Vocal fold paralysis (VFP) presents diverse etiologies, often linked to underlying diseases or surgical procedures.
• Understanding concurrent causes is crucial for effective patient management in tertiary care settings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the concurrent etiologies of vocal fold paralysis (VFP) in patients treated at a tertiary medical center.
• To identify the most frequent causes of both unilateral and bilateral VFP.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective review of medical records for patients diagnosed with VFP between September 2010 and December 2019.
• Exclusion of patients with laryngeal/hypopharyngeal malignancies, incomplete data, and those who recovered during follow-up.

Main Results:

• 194 patients with determined etiologies were analyzed; 178 had unilateral VFP and 16 had bilateral VFP.
• Surgical causes, predominantly thyroidectomy, accounted for 61.3% of unilateral VFP and 56.3% of bilateral VFP.
• Neoplastic causes, primarily lung cancer, represented 17.5% of unilateral VFP.

Conclusions:

• Surgical procedures, especially thyroidectomy, are the most common cause of VFP.
• Central nervous system disorders, including cerebrovascular accidents, are significant contributors to VFP.
• Findings indicate an increasing trend in surgery-related VFP and a decrease in neoplasm-related VFP in Taiwan.