Endemic Recurrent Laryngeal Nerve Paresis Correlation Between Emg And Stroboscopic Findings

Abstract

Sixteen cases of recurrent laryngeal nerve paresis are presented, 8 bilateral and 8 unilateral. 13 of the 24 paretic vocal cords also had paresis of n. laryng. sup. Some patients had psresis of the face, tongue, velum or diaphragm. Only 5 vocal cords in 5 patients regained normal mobility during the observation period, one year and a half. EMG was correlated with stroboscopic findings and with the position of the vocal cords. Considerable reinnervation and normal vibratory mobility was found in 12 vocal cords within 10 months, but of these only 2 abducted and adducted normally after more than 1 year. Our conclusions were: 1) Glottic wave depends on active tonus, i.e. innervation of the muscle in the actual vocal cord but does not necessarily imply functioning iwervation. 2) The position of the prlretic vocal cord depends, at least in part, on the degree of paresis.