A study involving 24 men with unilateral paralysis of vocal fold (average age of 60.7 years) investigated the perceptive-auditory vocal characteristics through the RASATI scale and the paralyzed vocal fold position.
Yumoto et al11 reported surgery in 42.7%, malignancy in 22.4%, idiopathic in 17.4% and injuries of the neck in 2.2% of cases as unilateral paralysis vocal cord etiology.
More common in pediatric patients, the first symptom is often stroke or recurrent transient ischemic attacks frequently accompanied by muscular weakness, seizures, or unilateral paralysis. Adults, however, frequently experience a nontraumatic intracerebral hemorrhage theorized to be secondary to formation of extensive collateral vessels with an increased proclivity of rupture.
The results show that vocal treatment alleviates the symptoms of unilateral paralysis of the larynx, both in patients with recent onset of symptoms, and in patients with unilateral paralysis which has been present for some time.