The effect of environmental allergy on laryngeal and pharyngeal complaints is not well understood. The goal of this study was to determine the prevalence of laryngeal and pharyngeal symptoms in patients with environmental inhalant allergy.

A retrospective review was conducted of all patients undergoing allergy skin testing between 2006 and 2009. Patients with positive skin tests were included and were classified as ‘mild’ or ‘extensive’ reactors based on skin testing results. Data regarding laryngeal and pharyngeal complaints, as well as ocular and nasal symptoms, had been systematically documented for all patients. The prevalence of these complaints was calculated in each group of reactors and overall.

The prevalence of laryngeal and pharyngeal complaints was 42.0% overall, 45.5% among the mild reactors, and 39.3% in the extensive reactors. No patients complained of hoarseness or were felt to have dysphonia. There was no statistically significant difference between the mild and extensive reactors (p = 0.78). The prevalence of ocular and/or nasal symptoms was 96.0, 90.9 and 100%, respectively.

The prevalence of laryngeal and pharyngeal complaints in allergy sufferers was low in this study. Given the conflicting literature on this topic, there is insufficient evidence to establish a causal link between environmental allergy and laryngeal and pharyngeal symptoms.

Shah MD, Wise SK, Rotella MR, Ingley AP, Johns MM. Prevalence of Laryngeal and Pharyngeal Symptoms in Patients with Environmental Allergy. Int J Phonosurg Laryngol 2014;4(1):1-4.

To determine the prevalence of laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR) in patients with voice disorders and to find out the efficacy of reflux symptom index (RSI) and reflux finding score (RFS) in the diagnosis.

This prospective analytical study was conducted on 554 patients who presented with dysphonia and symptoms suspicious of LPR. They were then subjected to clinical work up based on symptomatic history based RSI and video stroboscopic RFS scoring criteria. The results were analyzed statistically. The differences between RSI and RFS were calculated by Fisher's two sided test and the comparison between the two is calculated using kappa statistics to check the strength of agreement.

Among 554 patients, 457 (82.4%) patients were diagnosed to have LPR based on RSI score of more than 13. Among 448 (80.8%) patients RFS score was positive. Vocal nodule (23.64%), laryngitis (22.38%) and the vocal polyp (20.03%) constitute the majority, with a female preponderance in vocal nodule. Both RSI and RFS were poor or almost absent in conditions such as spasmodic dysphonia, tremors, vocal cord palsy, hemorrhage, functional aphonia and traumatic conditions. The Pearson correlation coefficient showed a good correlation and agreement between RSI and RFS was statistically significant.

The association of LPR in patients with voice disorders is significantly high. The RSI and RFS based clinical diagnosis is reliable and valid in the diagnosis of LPR as revealed in our study.

Sebastian S, Kolethekkat AA, Mathew J, Gowri M. Laryngopharyngeal Reflux in Dysphonics— Understanding the Significance and the Efficacy of Clinical Diagnosis: A Case-based Study. Int J Phonosurg Laryngol 2014;4(1):5-9.

To evaluate the outcome of aryepiglottoplasty (Cold steel method) in cases of severe laryngomalacia.

Retrospective. Review of medical records of 8 cases treated in Department of ENT, Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences from 2006 to 2011.

Seven out of eight children had a favorable outcome.

Aryepiglottoplasty (Cold steel method) is an efficient, simple and low cost method for treating severe cases of laryngomalacia.

Saxena A, Kumar M, Faizal B. Aryepiglottoplasty for Severe Laryngomalacia. Int J Phonosurg Laryngol 2014;4(1):10-12.

Mohanty S, Shinaz S, Maraignanam G, Samuel J. Salvaging a Shattered Larynx: A Challenge in Clinical Otorhinolaryngology. Int J Phonosurg Laryngol 2014;4(1):13-16.

Swain SK, Mohanty S, Behera IC. An Unsafe Foreign Body at an Unsafe Site of Airway. Int J Phonosurg Laryngol 2014;4(1):17-19.

Bhat VS, Sobhan Y, Ravi KS. A Rare Case of Internal Laryngopyocele presenting with Stridor. Int J Phonosurg Laryngol 2014;4(1):20-22.

Swain SK, Panda M, Patro N, Sahu MC. A Rare Cause of Hoarseness of Voice: Lipoid Proteinosis of the Larynx. Int J Phonosurg Laryngol 2014;4(1):23-26.

Spinal muscular atrophy is a rare autosomal recessive neurodegenerative disorder. We report a case of 62-year-old female of spinal muscular atrophy presenting with bilateral vocal fold paralysis, her diagnosis and management.

Case report of a case of spinal muscular atrophy presenting with bilateral vocal fold paralysis.

Spinomuscular atrophy though rarely associated with laryngeal symptoms should be kept in mind as a possible etiology of bilateral vocal fold paralysis. The surgical decision and the postoperative sequeale will be affected due to the presence of this disease and thus a high index of suspicion is required.

Nerurkar NK, Deshmukh S, Agrawal P, Kulkarni P. An Unusual Presentation of Bilateral Vocal Fold Paralysis due to Spinal Muscular Atrophy. Int J Phonosurg Laryngol 2014;4(1):27-29.

Dass A, Singhal SK, Gupta N, Verma H. Near-total Laryngectomy: An Oncologically Safe Alternative. Int J Phonosurg Laryngol 2014;4(1):30-32.

Reddy SL, Kadapa N. Worm in the Throat: Hamartoma Larynx. Int J Phonosurg Laryngol 2014;4(1):33-35.

Sharma K. Solitary Jejunal Metastasis from Carcinoma Pyriform Fossa presenting as Intestinal Obstruction. Int J Phonosurg Laryngol 2014;4(1):36-39.

Swain SK, Mishra S, Dash M. An Unusual Asymptomatic Foreign Body at Tracheobronchial Tree. Int J Phonosurg Laryngol 2014;4(1):40-42.

Mittal R, Verma H, Mathur N, Bhuie HS. Glottic Papilloma in Pregnancy. Int J Phonosurg Laryngol 2014;4(1):43-44.