The Role of Oral Steroids in the Treatment of Phonotraumatic Vocal Fold Lesions in Women

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

3-1-2019

Abstract

Objectives: (1) To determine the short-term effectiveness of oral steroids in women with benign vocal fold lesions and (2) to determine the effectiveness of adjuvant oral steroids in women undergoing voice therapy for benign vocal fold lesions. Study Design: Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial. Setting: Tertiary voice care center. Subjects and Methods: Thirty-six patients undergoing voice therapy for the treatment of phonotraumatic vocal fold lesions randomly received either a 4-day course of oral steroids or a placebo prior to initiating voice therapy. Voice Handicap Index–10 (VHI-10) scores, video and audioperceptual analyses, acoustic and aerodynamic analyses at baseline, and patient perception of improvement after a short course of steroids or a placebo and at the conclusion of voice therapy were collected. Results: Thirty patients completed the study, of whom 27 (only female) were analyzed. The primary outcome measure, VHI-10, did not improve after the 4-day course of steroids or placebo. Secondary measures similarly showed no improvement with steroids relative to placebo. Voice therapy demonstrated a positive effect on both VHI-10 and patient-perceived improvement of voice in all subjects. Conclusion: A short course of oral steroids did not benefit women with phonotraumatic vocal fold lesions. In addition, steroids had little beneficial effect when used adjunctively with voice therapy in this patient cohort.

Identifier

85061187148 (Scopus)

Publication Title

Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery United States

External Full Text Location

https://doi.org/10.1177/0194599818804776

e-ISSN

10976817

ISSN

01945998

PubMed ID

30322353

First Page

512

Last Page

518

Issue

3

Volume

160

Grant

K23DC014517

Fund Ref

National Institutes of Health

This document is currently not available here.

Share

COinS