Hoarseness (Dysphonia)
- Recommendations
1. DIAGNOSIS: Clinicians should diagnose hoarseness (dysphonia) in a patient with altered voice quality, pitch, loudness, or vocal effort that impairs communication or reduces voice-related QOL.
2. MODIFYING FACTORS:
Clinicians should assess the patient with hoarseness by history
and/or physical examination for factors that modify management such as one or
more of the following: recent surgical procedures involving the neck or
affecting the recurrent laryngeal nerve, recent endotracheal intubation,
radiation treatment to the neck, a history of tobacco abuse, and occupation as
a singer or vocal performer.
➡️Strong Recommendation
High quality evidence based on observational studies with a preponderance of benefit over harm.6-12
3A. LARYNGOSCOPY AND HOARSENESS: Clinicians may perform laryngoscopy or may refer the patient to a clinician who can visualize the larynx, at any time in a patient with hoarseness.
➡️Conditional
Moderate quality evidence based on observational studies, expert opinion, and a balance of benefit and harm.13,14
3B. INDICATIONS FOR LARYNGOSCOPY: Clinicians should visualize the patient’s larynx or refer the patient to a clinician who can visualize the larynx, when hoarseness fails to resolve by a maximum of three months after onset, or irrespective of duration if a serious underlying cause is suspected.
➡️Strong Recommendation
High quality evidence based on observational studies, expert opinion, and a preponderance of benefit over harm.15-19
4. IMAGING: Clinicians should not obtain computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the patient with a primary complaint of hoarseness prior to visualizing the larynx.
➡️Strong Recommendation against imaging
High quality evidence based on observational studies of harm, absence of evidence concerning benefit, and a preponderance of harm over benefit.20-25
5A. ANTI-REFLUX MEDICATION AND HOARSENESS. Clinicians should not prescribe anti-reflux medications for patients with hoarseness without signs or symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).
➡️Strong Recommendation against prescribing
Moderate quality evidence based on randomized trials with limitations and observational studies with a preponderance of harm over benefit.26,27
5B. ANTI-REFLUX MEDICATION AND CHRONIC LARYNGITIS. Clinicians may prescribe anti-reflux medication for patients with hoarseness and signs of chronic laryngitis.
➡️Conditional
Low quality evidence based on observational studies with limitations and a relative balance of benefit and harm.28-31
6. CORTICOSTEROID THERAPY: Clinicians should not routinely prescribe oral corticosteroids to treat hoarseness.
➡️Strong Recommendation against prescribing
High Quality evidence based on randomized trials showing adverse events and absence of clinical trials demonstrating benefits with a preponderance of harm over benefit for steroid use.32,33
7. ANTIMICROBIAL THERAPY: Clinicians should not routinely prescribe antibiotics to treat hoarseness.
➡️Strong recommendation against prescribing
High quality index based on systematic reviews and randomized trials showing ineffectiveness of antibiotic therapy and a preponderance of harm over benefit.34-36
8A. LARYNGOSCOPY PRIOR TO VOICE THERAPY: Clinicians should visualize the larynx before prescribing voice therapy and document/communicate the results to the speech-language pathologist.
➡️Strong Recommendation
High quality index based on observational studies showing benefit
and a preponderance of benefit
over harm.37-39
8B. ADVOCATING FOR VOICE THERAPY: Clinicians should advocate voice therapy for patients diagnosed with hoarseness (dysphonia) that reduces voice-related QOL.
➡️Strong recommendation
High quality index based on systematic reviews and randomized trials with a preponderance of benefit over harm.40-43
9. SURGERY: Clinicians should advocate for surgery as a therapeutic option in patients with hoarseness with suspected: 1) laryngeal malignancy, 2) benign laryngeal soft tissue lesions, or 3) glottic insufficiency.
➡️Strong Recommendation
High quality index based on observational studies demonstrating
a benefit of surgery in these conditions and a
preponderance of benefit over harm.44-47
10. BOTULINUM TOXIN: Clinicians should prescribe or refer the patient to a clinician who can prescribe botulinum toxin injections for the treatment of hoarseness caused by spasmodic dysphonia.
➡️Strong Recommendation
High quality index based on randomized controlled trials with minor limitations and preponderance of benefit over harm.48-52
11. PREVENTION: Clinicians may educate/counsel patients with hoarseness about control/preventive measures.
➡️Conditional
Moderate quality evidence based on observational studies and small randomized trials of poor quality.53-57
Clinical Indicators of monitoring:
▶️ Clinicians should diagnose hoarseness putting in consideration modifying factors such as medical, surgical and pharmacotherapy history.
▶️ Clinicians should perform or send patient for laryngoscopy if hoarseness persists for more than 3 months or irrespective of duration if a serious underlying cause is suspected.
▶️ Clinician should not prescribe anti-reflux treatment for patients with hoarseness except if there are symptoms and signs of reflux.
▶️ Clinicians should not prescribe antimicrobial therapy and corticosteroids as a routine therapy for patients with hoarseness.
▶️ Clinicians should advocate voice therapy for patients diagnosed with hoarseness (dysphonia) that reduces voice-related QOL.
▶️ Surgery should be advocated as a therapeutic option in patients with hoarseness with suspected: 1) laryngeal malignancy, 2) benign laryngeal soft tissue lesions, or 3) glottic insufficiency.
▶️ Clinicians should prescribe or refer the patient to a clinician who can prescribe botulinum toxin injections for the treatment of hoarseness caused by spasmodic dysphonia.
Research Needs.
▶️ Hoarseness is known to be common, but the prevalence of hoarseness in certain populations such as children is not well known. Additionally, the prevalence of specific etiologies of hoarseness is not known. Descriptive statistics would help to shape thinking on distribution of resources, levels of care, and cost mandates.
▶️ Some of the entities that might benefit from study include viral laryngitis, fungal laryngitis, inhaler-related laryngitis, voice abuse, reflux, and benign lesions (i.e., nodules, polyps, cysts, etc.). A better understanding of the natural history of these disorders could be obtained through prospective observational studies and will have clear implications for the necessity and timing of behavioral, medical, and surgical interventions.
▶️ Prospective studies on the value of steroids and antibiotics for infectious laryngitis are also lacking. Given the known potential harms from these medications, prospective studies examining the benefits relative to placebo are warranted.
▶️ Well conducted and controlled studies of anti-reflux therapy for patients with hoarseness and for patients with signs of laryngeal inflammation would help to establish the value of these medications. Further clarification of which hoarse patients may benefit from reflux treatment would help to optimize outcomes and minimize costs and potential side effects. Future studies may benefit from strict inclusion criteria and specific investigation of the outcome of hoarseness (dysphonia) control.
▶️ Although ancillary testing such as radiographic imaging is often performed to assist in diagnosing the underlying cause of hoarseness, the role of these tests has not been clearly defined. Their usefulness as screening tools is unclear and the cost effectiveness of their use has not been established.
▶️ Study of the effect of early screening and diagnosis is warranted. Voice therapy has been shown to provide short-term benefit for hoarse patients, but long-term efficacy has not been shown. Also, the relative harm of voice therapy has not been studied (e.g., lost work time, anxiety), making the
▶️ risk/benefit ratio difficult to evaluate.
▶️ As office-based procedures are developed to manage causes of hoarseness previously treated in the operating room, comparative studies on the safety and efficacy of office-based procedures relative to those performed under general anesthesia are needed (e.g. injection vs open thyroplasty).