Hoarseness (Dysphonia)
Publication Date: March 1, 2018
Key Points
Key Points
Table 1. Summary of Guideline Key Action Statements (KAS)
Diagnosis
Identification of Abnormal Voice
Clinicians should identify dysphonia in a patient with altered voice quality, pitch, loudness, or vocal effort that impairs communication or reduces QOL. ( C , R )
570
Identifying Underlying Cause of Dysphonia
Clinicians should assess the patient with dysphonia by history and physical examination for underlying causes of dysphonia and factors that modify management. ( C , R )
570
Escalation of Care
Clinicians should assess the patient with dysphonia by history and physical examination to identify factors where expedited laryngeal evaluation is indicated. These include but are not limited to: recent surgical procedures involving the head, neck or chest, recent endotracheal intubation, presence of concomitant neck mass, respiratory distress or stridor, history of tobacco abuse, and whether he/she is a professional voice user. ( B , S )
570
Laryngoscopy and Dysphonia
Clinicians may perform diagnostic laryngoscopy at any time in a patient with dysphonia. ( C , O )
570
Need for Laryngoscopy in Persistent Dysphonia
Clinicians should perform laryngoscopy, or refer to a clinician who can perform laryngoscopy, when dysphonia fails to resolve or improve within 4 weeks, or irrespective of duration if a serious underlying cause is suspected. ( C , R )
570
Imaging
Clinicians should NOT obtain computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in patients with a primary voice complaint prior to visualization of the larynx. ( C , R )
570
Treatment
Anti-Reflux Medication and Dysphonia
Clinicians should NOT prescribe anti-reflux medications to treat isolated dysphonia, based on symptoms alone attributed to suspected gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) or laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR), without visualization of the larynx. ( B , R )
570
Corticosteroid Therapy
Clinicians should NOT routinely prescribe corticosteroids in patients with dysphonia prior to visualization of the larynx. ( B , R )
570
Antimicrobial Therapy
Clinicians should NOT routinely prescribe antibiotics to treat dysphonia. ( A , S )
570
Laryngoscopy Prior to Voice Therapy
Clinicians should perform diagnostic laryngoscopy, or refer to a clinician who can perform diagnostic laryngoscopy, before prescribing voice therapy and document/communicate the results to the speech-language pathologist. ( C , R )
570
Advocating for Voice Therapy
Clinicians should advocate voice therapy in patients with dysphonia from a cause amenable to voice therapy. ( A , S )
570
Surgery
Clinicians should advocate for surgery as a therapeutic option in patients with dysphonia with conditions amenable to surgical intervention such as suspected malignancy, symptomatic benign vocal fold lesions that do not respond to conservative management, or glottic insufficiency. ( B , R )
570
Botulinum Toxin
Clinicians should offer, or refer to a clinician who can offer, botulinum toxin injections for the treatment of dysphonia caused by spasmodic dysphonia and other types of laryngeal dystonia. ( B , R )
570
Education/ Prevention
Clinicians should inform patients with dysphonia about control/preventive measures. ( C , R )
570
Outcomes
Clinicians should document resolution, improvement or worsened symptoms of dysphonia, or change in quality of life in patients with dysphonia after treatment or observation. (C, R)
570
Figure 1. Key Action Statement (KAS) Algorithm
Table 2. Definition of Common Terms
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Dysphonia | Altered vocal quality, pitch, loudness, or vocal effort that impairs communication as assessed by a clinician and/or affects quality of life. |
| Hoarseness | A symptom of altered voice quality reported by patients. |
| Worsened Voice-related Quality of Life (QOL) | Self-perceived decrement in function; or a decline in economic status, as a result of voice-related dysfunction. |
| Dysarthria | A speech disorder due to impaired movement of the structures used for speech production, including the lips, tongue, and complex musculature involved in articulation. |
| Dyspnea | Difficult or labored breathing, shortness of breath. |
| Dysphagia | Disordered or impaired swallowing. |
| Laryngoscopy | Term used to describe visualization of larynx. Unless otherwise specified, its use in this guideline refers to indirect laryngoscopy (visualization of the larynx), which can be done by several methods including mirror examination, rigid rod-lens telescope examination, rigid rod-lens telescope, flexible fiber optic or flexible distal chip scopes. Each laryngoscopy technique has specific diagnostic indications. |
| Stroboscopy | Advanced laryngeal imaging designed to visualize vocal fold vibratory abnormalities that cannot be appreciated using continuous light laryngoscopy. It uses a synchronized flashing light that passes through a laryngoscope. |
Diagnosis
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.... Medications That May Cause Dysphonia...
...s of Pertinent Questions in the Assessment of a...
Treatment
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...Documented Side Effects of Short and...
Patient Information
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