PATHOPHYSIOLOGY: Vocal Cord Paralysis

Predisposing Factors:Injury, tumors, or surgery in the neck or upper chest; brain tumors or stroke that

can affect the recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN); neuropathies; benign or malignant laryngeal and head or neck lesions; degenerative neurologic conditions such as Parkinson’s disease; head or chest trauma; medical

intubations; infectious diseases that may affect the nerve like whooping cough, polio, and tetanus.

Unilateral or bilateral vocal cord paralysis.

When bilateral: significant functional impairment of phonation and respiration .

Impaired vocal cord vibrations that make sounds. Breathing is obstructed on

inspiration, producing a condition known as

stridor. Closing the airway while breathing

in produces creaking noises in the throat

and changes the shape of the chest.

Throat, mouth, and nasal passages are impairedto amplify and modify these sounds to produce voice.

Vocal tract articulators (tongue, soft palate, lips)are impaired to further modify the sounds to produce words.

Signs: hoarseness or complete voice loss;absent, abnormal, or nearly normal voice; breathy, weak, low-pitched, or high-pitcheddysphonia; short vocalizations and coughing or choking when eating or drinking which may

lead to aspiration or pneumonia; dysphagia which could result to aspiration of liquids.

Prepared By:CERIACO, ChedanBSN IV-K1Saint Louis University – College of Nursing