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Laryngeal Sensory Neuropathic Cough Is Not Associated With Membranous Vocal Fold Lesions
Diego E Razura1,2, Tyler Gallagher2, Nyree Khachikyan3
1Department of Otolaryngology - Head & Neck Surgery, Mayo Clinic Arizona, Phoenix, Arizona, USA.
Objectives:
Examine the association between laryngeal sensory neuropathic cough (LSNC) and membranous vocal fold (VF) lesions. Understand the clinical presentation and challenges in diagnosing this idiopathic condition.
Methods:
A retrospective review was conducted of adult patients with chronic cough (> 8 weeks) seen at a tertiary academic laryngology center from 2015 to 2020. Laryngeal videostroboscopy exams were reviewed. Demographics, cough severity index (CSI), and chronic cough duration were collected. Descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, and multivariable logistic regression (adjusting for age, sex, race, and cough duration) were performed.
Results:
Among 119 patients with LSNC (44.2%), the mean age was 59.8 (SD = 16.5) and they were primarily female (66.4%) and white (39.5%). The mean cough duration was 5.8 years (SD = 9.1), and the mean CSI was 20.8 (SD = 9.4). Most patients (88.2%) had a normal age-appropriate laryngeal exam. On chi-square analysis, cough duration was not associated with VF lesion presence (p = 0.698). In univariable (OR: 1.00 [95% CI: 0.94-1.08]) and multivariable logistic regression (OR: 0.99 [95% CI: 0.93-1.07]), cough duration was not significantly associated with VF lesions.
Conclusion:
LSNC was rarely associated with membranous VF lesions in this cohort. These findings suggest that chronic cough may not be a risk factor for developing VF lesions.
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