Use Videostrobokymography to Quantitatively Analyze the Vibratory Characteristics Before and After Conservative Medical Treatment of Vocal Fold Leukoplakia

Objectives. To quantitatively analyze the vibratory characteristics of vocal folds before and after conservative treatments to evaluate the outcomes of conservative treatments for vocal fold leukoplakia using videostrobokymography (VSK). Study Design. This is a prospective study. Methods. Twenty patients and 20 controls were enrolled into the study. All patients received conservative treatments for 3 weeks and received VSK examination before and 3 weeks after the treatments. All controls only received VSK examination once. Vocal fold lengths of 25%, 50%, and 75% were chosen as the line-scan positions to evaluate the vocal fold vibration. Open quotient (OQ) and asymmetry index (AI) were obtained using VSK. Results. Significant improvements in the main symptoms including voice hoarseness were found. Videostroboscopic findings showed that the white lesions on the vocal folds almost completely disappeared in all patients, and the vocal fold flexibility returned to normal. All OQs and AIs at each line-scan position in patients before the treatments were larger than those in controls (P < 0.017), whereas all OQs and AIs at each line-scan position decreased 3 weeks after conservative treatments (P < 0.017). No significant differences in OQs and AIs at each line-scan position were detected between patients after the treatments and controls (P > 0.017). Conclusions. VSK could quantitatively evaluate the vibratory characteristics of vocal folds before and after the treatments, and conservative treatment could improve VSK measurements to normal control values, suggesting that VSK is a tool to assess the outcomes of the conservative treatments for vocal fold leukoplakia.