[Dysphonia following strumectomy. Laryngeal and vocal cord changes as sequelae of thyroid surgery]

In 142 patients function and morphology of the larynx were clinically assessed before and after strumectomy. The postoperative incidence of irreversible recurrent nerve pareses amounted to 2.1% whereas incidence of pareses of the n. laryngeus superior was 1.4%. The rather high number of laryngeal asymmetries (49.3%) is, in most cases, reversible after strumectomy. The number of intubation injuries does not significantly differ from the figures obtained after intubation anesthetics based on other indications. Hyperkinetic dysphonia is partly reversible after strumectomy, an unspecific recuperation effect probably playing the most important role. In 3% of the cases the enlarged thyroid gland caused a venous congestion in the endolarynx. Dysphonia following strumectomy is, in most cases, not to be attributed to a lesion of the laryngeal nerves, although the diagnosis dysphonia should under no circumstances lead to an expectant, conservative "wait and see" attitude whenever such a dysphonia (paraphonia) occurs. On the contrary, an otorhinolaryngologic diagnosis and, if need be, therapy are mandatory in all such cases.