Hoarseness
August 19th, 2017
Overview
How to Assess
- Listen for hoarseness while taking the history. Ask the patient to cough.
Causes of Hoarseness (Dysphonia) or Hoarse Cough
Neurological
- Trauma - vagus / recurrent laryngeal nerve
- Infection - meningitis, diptheria
- Tumour
- Small-vessel ischaemia
- Multiple sclerosis
- Parkinson's disease
Neuromuscular / Muscular
- Myasthenia gravis
- Spasmodic dysphonia
Upper Respiratory
- Irritation - alcohol, tobacco, reflux, pollutants, inhaled chemicals
- Laryngitis - viral, bacterial, fungal
- Vocal cord trauma - direct trauma, chronic cough, vocal abuse
- Vocal cord mass - nodules, polyps, cyst, tumour
- Medications - ACE inhibitors, antihistamines, inhaled steroids
Other
- Psychogenic
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