Digital Videokymography: Analysis of Glottal Closure in Adults

High-speed videolaryngoscopy and quantitative analysis of laryngeal images are relevant in accurately diagnosing vocal fold closure patterns.

To analyze the parameters of digital videokymography obtained through high-speed videolaryngoscopy in women and men with complete and incomplete glottal closure, and posterior glottal chink.

We conducted an observational, analytical, cross-sectional study with data from 65 adults, which we divided into groups according to sex and glottal closure. Digital videokymography parameters were analyzed using an image-processing program. The Anderson-Darling and Mann-Whitney U tests were used to verify sample normality and compare videokymography parameters between groups, respectively. The significance level was set at 5%.

Among 65 laryngeal images, 20 each were from women with complete and incomplete glottal closure, and 20 and 5 were from men with complete and incomplete glottal closure, respectively. Considering the clinical relevance of the evaluated data, groups of 11 women and 4 men with posterior glottal chink were compared with sex-similar groups with complete glottal closure. Digital videokymography showed a lower maximum and mean vocal fold opening in women with incomplete glottal closure, and a lower dominant left vocal fold-opening amplitude and higher dominant frequency of bilateral vocal fold opening in men with incomplete glottal closure. It also showed a lower closed phase percentage in the posterior region for women and men, with higher closed phase percentage in the anterior and middle regions in women. Both groups with posterior glottal chink showed similar results.

Incomplete glottal closure may interfere with the results of the digital videokymography parameters, with higher impact on the posterior vocal fold region in males and the middle and anterior vocal fold regions in females.