Vocal Fold Paralysis After Spinal and Epidural Anesthesia: A Case Report and Scoping Review

Cranial nerve paralysis is a rare complication of spinal and epidural anesthesia, and some cases of vocal fold paralysis (VFP) have been reported. The aim of this article is to report a case, identify evidence supporting the possibility of VFP being a complication of spinal and epidural anesthesia and to investigate the frequency, the characteristics, and the possible mechanisms of such a complication.

CINAHL Complete, Google Scholar, Cochrane Library, Pubmed, and EMBASE.

Case report according to CARE guidelines; scoping review according to PRISMA-ScR criteria. All types of studies that reported on patients of any age and sex, all types of spinal/epidural anesthesia regardless of the location and of drugs used were included. A data extraction sheet was completed for each study selected for inclusion based on the full-text screenings. Extracted data included: study characteristics, participant characteristics, intervention characteristics, outcome measures, clinical investigations. The study did not receive external funding.

Eight studies met inclusion criteria and a total of 13 events (in 12 patients, including ours) were reported to date. Although there are some hypotheses in regard to the mechanism underlying the phenomena, including mechanical and inflammatory ones, the exact cause is still unclear.

Only few cases of VFP after spinal or epidural anesthesia have been reported to date; however, it seems possible that VFP might be a potential underreported complication of such procedures. We believe that more research on the topic is warranted, especially considering the wide population potentially at risk.

NA Laryngoscope, 134:3477-3484, 2024.