The Prevalence of Undiagnosed Thyroid Disease in Patients With Symptomatic Vocal Fold Paresis

The Predictors of Postoperative Laryngeal Nerve Paresis in Patients Undergoing Thyroid Surgery: A Pilot Study

“…The results of a previous study by our group suggest that there may be inflammatory or other mediators from a diseased thyroid that affect functioning of the laryngeal nerve. 15 Although others have proposed various mechanisms to explain how thyroid disease causes LNP or paralysis, including compression of the laryngeal nerves by mass effect of the thyroid or its tumors, stretching of the laryngeal nerves over large thyroid masses or glands, direct involvement of the laryngeal nerves with malignant tumors, or inflammation producing perineural arterial thrombosis and fibrosis with consequent laryngeal nerve dysfunction, 9,[16][17][18] none of these appeared to predict worsening of the LNP, except in the case of goiters and tumors greater than 5 cm in the present study. Six of our subjects had glands larger than 5 cm, which may support the possibility of compression of the nerve or blood supply.…”

Vocal fold paresis

“…The presence of endocrinologic diseases such as hypothyroidism, goiter, thyroiditis should also be part of the working differential. In a series of 308 patients, 146 (47.4%) patients with vocal fold paresis were diagnosed with concurrent thyroid disease [37].…”

Neuromuscular Junction Voice Disorders. Proposal of a Diagnostic Protocol

“…Thyroid dysfunction is a frequent accompaniment and may aggravate myasthenic weakness as well as rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus. Computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance of the chest is needed to evaluate for thymoma or other thymic abnormalities [25][26][27].…”