The developing role of a paediatric voice clinic: a review of our experience.

Abstract

We report our experience in developing a paediatric voice clinic within a tertiary otolaryngology department and describe the emerging role of this specialized clinic. Currently our referral base is divided between other otolaryngologists within our department who require voice assessment as part of the pre- or post-operative management of laryngeal disorders (e.g. cysts, webs, vocal fold palsies, laryngo-tracheal reconstruction) and other professionals within our hospital who require characterisation of voice within the broader task of defining medical conditions in which voice abnormalities exist (e.g. mucopolysaccharidoses, functional dysphonias). The patients were assessed by a team consisting of a paediatric laryngologist and a speech and language therapist. Each patient underwent a perceptual voice assessment and qualitative voice assessment using electrolaryngography. Direct visualisation was attempted and methods of and suitability for, such examination are discussed. Our experience is reviewed and guidelines for the establishment of a paediatric voice clinic are presented.