2021 Volume 62 Issue 3 Pages 215-222
This study aimed to analyze the differences in clinical characteristics between pediatric vocal cord nodules (PVCNs) and adult vocal fold nodules (AVCNs). We compared the laryngeal findings between PVCNs and AVCNs at the initial videolaryngoscopy examination. Eighteen patients were included in this study: seven children and eleven adults.
PVCNs demonstrated significant differences from AVCNs in the following respects: 1) vocal trauma caused by frequent screaming; 2) long hoarseness duration; 3) large size of vocal cord nodule; 4) a high proportion of G2 hoarseness in auditory-perceptual vocal analysis (GRBAS scale); and 5) a high-amplitude perturbation quotient value in acoustic analysis.
Although vocal abuses affected both PVCNs and AVCNs, the frequent screaming and long-term hoarseness associated with PVCNs were considered risk factors that made nodule size, auditory-perceptual vocal analysis and acoustic parameters more severe than those of AVCNs.
It is said that most PVCNs are improved or healed after puberty. Some PVCNs marked by severe hoarseness with repeated voice abuses, including screaming for a long time, may lead to fibrous vocal cord nodule necessitating surgical treatment in the future.
