Abstract
Hoarseness is a common symptom that can result from a wide spectrum of underlying causes ranging from the common cold to a malignancy. A framework for diagnostic evaluation is presented based on categorizing the myriad of causes by how they interfere with the voice production mechanism. Triaging of cases by necessity or urgency of laryngoscopy is assisted by forming a global index of suspicion based on targeted history taking. Laryngoscopy is required in most cases to obtain a diagnosis for the hoarseness. Treatments commonly prescribed for hoarseness are critically examined in this article. To listen to audio clips of patients with different types of hoarseness, please visit our website, www.medical.theclinics.com.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 945-960 |
Number of pages | 16 |
Journal | Medical Clinics of North America |
Volume | 94 |
Issue number | 5 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Sep 2010 |
Keywords
- Dysphonia
- Laryngoscopy
- Voice
- Voice evaluation
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- General Medicine