Laryngostroboscopy: Perceptual and acoustic evaluation of male smokers

Abstract

Objectives: The objective of this study was to evaluate the conventional laryngoscopy, laryngostroboscopy, perceptual and acoustic evaluation of 28 male chronic smokers. Methods: Volunteer sample of 28 male smokers whose ages averaged 53 years. Smoking habit varied from 96 to 720 months. Standard transoral rigid videolaryngoscopy with stroboscopy was performed. The examinations were recorded on videotape (video home system format). The recorded material was analyzed by a physician according to Hirano & Bless protocol (1993). A grading system described by Yonekawa (1983) was used in order to assess the severity of the Reinke edema (RE). The subjective judgment of the voice quality was carried out by 5 experienced speech-language pathologists. The GRBAS system was used to describe the voice quality. For the acoustic assessment, the following factors were analyzed: fundamental frequency; jitter; shimmer; NNE; and HNR. Results: The conventional laryngoscopy was able to identify RE in 9 patients. In the laryngostroboscopy, RE was identified in 16 examinations with prevalence of type II. Besides it, 1 polyp, 1 leucoplakia; 1 bilateral angiodisgenesia and 1 vocal fold scar were described. The perceptual evaluation presented revealed prevalence of strainless and roughness. The acoustic analysis demonstrated higher rates of fundamental frequency, shimmer, and HNR. The jitter rates were lower than the normal. Conclusion: A rate of 57% of chronicle male smokers presented RE with no significant vocal repercussion. The perceptual evaluation showed alterations in larger scale related to the vocal tract ressonance and all the acoustic rates alterated.