Traumatic Paralysis of the Left Vocal Cord

Aortic aneurysm presenting with left vocal cord paralysis.

A 60-year-old man with diabetes presented to hospital with gradual onset hoarseness of 7 months duration. He was a smoker for the last 30 years and did not have any other symptoms such as cough, dyspnea or weight loss. Physical examination showed a normal pulse and blood pressure. Indirect laryngoscopy revealed a paralyzed left vocal cord in paramedian position (Picture 1). A chest X-ray showed...

Left vocal cord paralysis and dysphagia in mitral valve disease.

Two cases of severe mitral stenosis with both hoarseness, caused by left vocal cord palsy, and dysphagia are described. This combination in the same patient has not, to our knowledge, been previously described. Previous studies have firmly established that vocal cord paralysis in mitral stenosis is a result of compression of the left recurrent laryngeal nerve as it passes around the aortic arch...

Tuberculous mediastinal lymphadenopathy can cause left vocal cord paralysis.

Congenital bilateral vocal cord paralysis.

Congenital upper airway obstruction is a relatively rare but important cause of major respiratory problems in the neonatal period. Vocal cord paralysis is the second most common cause of congenital airway obstruction presenting with neonatal stridor. It is often the reason for the failure of neonates to wean from the respiratory support. A retrospective analysis of medical record review was con...

Right vocal cord paralysis and mediastinal lymphadenopathy.

CASE PRESENTATION A non-smoking 45-year-old white man presented with a globus sensation worsened by lying down, with no complaints of hoarseness or dysphonia. He denied fever, fatigue, cough, chest pain, sweats, weight loss, reflux, arthralgias, myalgias and rash. He also denied exposure to asbestosis, beryllium, silica, HIV or tuberculosis, but he reported a recent cat bite. Physical examinati...