Relación del examen audioperceptual de la voz con lesiones orgánicas de cuerdas vocales

Abstract

The purpose of the present study was to determine the relationship of the audio-perceptual evaluation of the voice with the diagnosis of organic laryngeal disorders, specifically associated with the “grade” (G), “roughness” (R), and “breathiness” (B) parameters of the GRBAS scale classified into “moderate” (2) and “severe” (3). Overall, 264 patients were assessed. The main complaint was dysphonia. A speech therapist and a laryngologist at the Hospital Britanico, Buenos Aires, between April 2013 and April 2014, evaluated the patients. At first examination, the audio-perceptual evaluation was performed on anamnesis, followed by laryngeal videostroboscopy, and computerized acoustic analysis; a rough voice was associated with the presence of subharmonics and breathiness with interharmonic noise or with the disappearance of harmonics. Patients with instability and/or tremor, and children under 14 years of age were excluded. Results: of all patients scored G3 (grade), 86 (44.56%) had organic disorders vs 1 (1.41%) with a functional disorder.Of the patients graded as G2, 94 (48.70%) had organic disorders vs 19 (26.76%) with a functional disorder. The majority of patients who were graded as two or three according to theparameters G, R, and B presented with an organic disorder.