Abstract
Voice disorders exert a dramatic influence on patients’ quality of life (QOL). The physical, functional, and emotional impact can be accurately assessed using the conventional questionnaire of “voice handicap index” (VHI) or its shorter version, the VHI-10. We evaluated the VHI scores of patients suffering from obstructive Reinke’s edema, a benign laryngeal disorder, before and after endoscopic treatment. Comparison of pre- and postoperative VHI scores showed the treatment efficacy. The scores achieved were similar to asymptomatic individuals (control group), thus improving their quality of life. Furthermore, both VHI and VHI-10 tests yielded similar scores. We suggest routine systematic incorporation of the VHI-10 test for pre- and postoperative routine evaluation of patients with Reinke’s edema. The results are faster and reliable.
Highlights
Voice disorders and their treatment assessment protocols have focused on “objective voice measurements” [1]
Neither objective voice nor video perceptual measures can assess the level of handicap that a person experiences as a result of a voice disorder [2]
The aim of this study is to provide a subjective assessment of voice quality and its impact on the quality of life of patients presenting with obstructive Reinke’s edema (ORE)
Summary
Voice disorders and their treatment assessment protocols have focused on “objective voice measurements” [1]. These objective measures assess only a small component of voice production and do not encompass global vocal function from the patient’s perspective. In 1997, Jacobson et al [3] proposed a measure of voice handicap known as the voice handicap index (VHI). This patient-based self-assessment tool consists of a 30-item questionnaire covering the three domains of a voice disorder: functional, physical, and emotional (see Table 1). The overall aim of the VHI is to quantify the patient’s perception of his handicap due to the alteration in his or her vocal functions
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