Unilateral Vocal Cord Palsy Caused by Cervical Osteophyte

Abstract

Cervical osteophytes are bone spurs that grow on any part of the cervical spine. Osteophytes in the spine are a normal sign of aging and can be associated with conditions such as degenerative disc diseases, osteoarthritis, spinal stenosis, and others. When cervical osteophytes become large enough, main symptoms can include neck pain, radicular pain, neurological problems, and sometimes dysphagia, as well as hoarseness in rare cases. The authors report a case of left vocal cord palsy in a 75-year-old male patient with a large cervical osteophyte with a left anterior protrusion in the C5/C6 level.