Lesões de borda de pregas vocais e tempos máximos de fonação

Abstract

The evaluation of the Maximum Phonation Times (MPT) verifies the control over the aerodynamic lung forces and the mioelastic laryngeal forces. Lesions on the edge of vocal folds may impair the glottal closing, thus altering the values of vocal sustaining. This study had, as a general aim, to verify the existence of any relation between cases with otorhinolaryngeal diagnosis for vocal folds edge lesion and their MPT. It was also intended to verify and correlate the frequency of kinds of MPT and vocal folds pathologies among individuals with mature and immature vocal folds, and between sexes. So, records from the project “Data bank of patients with voice complaints assisted at the Speech and Language Assisting Service of UFSM” of patients who had an otorhinolaryngeal diagnosis of vocal folds edge pathology were selected. From the total of 152 records, 60 were of vocal cyst, polypus, or nodules, and from these, 54 passed inclusion criteria, being 8 cases of vocal cyst and 46 of vocal fold nodules. It was verified that the most frequent vocal folds edge lesion in adults and children was the vocal fold nodules, followed by the vocal cysts; that the nodules occur more frequently in adult women and male children; that the cysts occur more frequently in females, either adults and children; and that the vocal folds lesions tend to cause a reduction of the MPT of immature vocal folds of both sexes and a reduction of the MPT of mature vocal folds of females. It was concluded that the vocal cord lesions, for making proper glottal closing difficult, cause a reduction of the MPT values.