Abstract:

Objective    To evaluate the application of electronic fibrolaryngoscopic swallowing study in the localization of vocal cord paralysis. Methods    The electronic fibrolaryngoscopic swallowing study was conducted in 15 patients with unilateral vocal cord paralysis. The duration of the disease varied from 5 days to 10 months. There were 5 cases of right side vocal cord paralysis and 10 cases of left side vocal cord paralysis. The lesions of vagus nerve were in the high level (at or above the ganglion of the vagus nerve) in 4 cases, low level (below the ganglion of the vagus nerve) in 4 cases, and unknown level in 7 cases. Results    There was residual food in the pyriform sinus on the paralysed side of the vocal cord in all the 4 cases with highlevel vagus nerve damage, but only one case with lowlevel vagus nerve damage. Among the patients with unknown lesions of vagus nerve, residual food in the pyriform sinus on the impaired side of the vocal cord was found in 2 cases but not in another 5 cases.  Conclusion    The impaired site of the vagus nerve can be possibly determined according to whether or not there was residual food in the pyriform sinus on the impaired side of the unilateral vocal cord paralysis.

Key words: Vocal Cord Paralysis; Localization; Diagnosis; Swallowing Study； Electronic Fibrolaryngoscope