[Phonosurgical treatment of vocal cord cysts]

Functional-traumatic lesions of the vocal folds include mucous stranding, "nodular" lesions, polyps, cysts, contact hyperplasia and haematoma [1]. They all appear at the predilection sites of the vocal fold, at the junction between the anterior and middle thirds, slightly below the free edge. Vocal fold cysts are also located at the predilection site. They interfere with the glottic closure and vibration process. The treatment consists of surgical enucleation. This paper is aimed to present our results with direct and indirect surgical procedures.

A series of 63 vocal fold cysts was operated by the use of direct microlaryngoscopy (DML), indirect microlaryngoscopy (IMS) and videostroboscopy (IVCS).

Over a 10-year period 1550 surgical procedures were performed for benign lesions of the vocal folds, including 63 cases of vocal fold cysts (4.1%). A very satisfactory phonusurgical result was obtained. Recovery of the vibration pattern was after DML procedures within 3 weeks in 66.6% of patients, while it was apparently faster after indirect operations. The latter were performed only for minor cystic lesions, and therefore direct and indirect procedures cannot be compared to vibration recovery.

A careful surgical manipulation is required for the enucleation of vocal fold cysts, sparing the local tissue. DML is used in the majority of cases, while indirect procedures can be used only in minor lesions, where enucleation is not possible.