The treatment and results of voice therapy amongst professional classical singers with vocal fold nodules

Abstract

In order to test the hypotheses that nonsurgical treatment and elimination of inappropriate use of the voice is sufficient for disappearance of vocal fold nodules (VN), 28 classical singers with these lesions were examined for a period of up to 24 years after establishing this diagnosis. Twenty vocally healthy female singers constituted the control group. Laryngoscopy, microlaryngoscopy, laryngostroboscopy and acoustic voice analyses were used to carry out this research. It was found that VN, having once occurred, tended to reoccur despite nonsurgical treatment and the elimination of incorrect singing. It was concluded that physiologically correct singing leads only to a temporary disappearance of soft nodules and does not promote the resolution of hard nodules.

• Acoustic voice analyses
• laryngostroboscopy
• singing voice
• vocal abuse