Diagnostic criteria in functional dysphonia

One thousand consecutive patients seen in a multidisciplinary voice clinic are reviewed. The incidence and relative severity of diagnostic features in each of five assessment areas are calculated and compared. The five areas include: 1. history, 2. laryngoscopic examination, 3. perceptual-acoustic assessment, 4. voice related musculoskeletal, and 5. psychological evaluations. Feature prevalence is presented for patients we have classified as having muscular tension dysphonia, which can be primary, or associated with vocal nodules, chronic laryngitis, or polypoidal degeneration; or as having a psychogenic "functional" dysphonia. Following review of the data, we present a suggested list of diagnostic criteria that should be present before using a specific diagnostic label. These criteria have been further broken down into those that will be present to make a diagnosis, and those that may be present.