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Updated: Jan 9, 2026

Minimally Invasive Murine Laryngoscopy for Close-Up Imaging of Laryngeal Motion During Breathing and Swallowing
Published on: December 1, 2023
Italian multicentre study to validate the Swallowing Outcome After Laryngectomy (SOAL) questionnaire
Pietro De Luca1, Arianna Di Stadio2, Gerardo Petruzzi3
1Otolaryngology Department, Isola Tiberina-Gemelli Isola Hospital, Rome, Italy.
Objective:
To report the data obtained by translating the Swallowing Outcomes After Laryngectomy (SOAL) questionnaire in Italian to validate it and offer a valid tool for Italian-speaking patients and clinicians.
Methods:
A multicentre case-control study was performed between January 1st 2024 and October 1st 2024. In all, 494 patients consecutively treated for laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma were included in the study (group 1). Healthy controls and patients who underwent radiotherapy (group 2) or chemotherapy (group 3) of the head and neck district were the two control groups.
Results:
Statistically significant differences were observed comparing SOAL scores among the three groups (ANOVA: p < 0.0001); significant differences were observed between group 1 (mean 0.89 +/- 1.31; 95% CI: 0-3) and group 2 (mean 6.78 +/- 4.59; 95% CI: 1-24) (Bonferroni-Holmes [BH] p < 0.01), and group 1 and group 3 (mean 11 +/- 7.47; 95% CI: 0-38) (BH: p 0 < 0.01). Statistically significant differences in the SOAL scores were also identified between group 2 and 3 (BH: p < 0.01).
Conclusions:
The SOAL questionnaire may be a useful tool to correctly understand patients' concerns for swallowing to promptly and rapidly manage them and improve patient's quality of life.
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