RT Book, Section A1 Lustig, Lawrence R. A1 Schindler, Joshua S. A2 Papadakis, Maxine A. A2 McPhee, Stephen J. A2 Rabow, Michael W. A2 McQuaid, Kenneth R. SR Print(0) ID 1184157321 T1 Dysphonia, Hoarseness, & Stridor T2 Current Medical Diagnosis & Treatment 2022 YR 2022 FD 2022 PB McGraw-Hill Education PP New York, NY SN 9781264269389 LK accessmedicine.mhmedical.com/content.aspx?aid=1184157321 RD 2024/03/29 AB The primary symptoms of laryngeal disease are hoarseness and stridor. Hoarseness is caused by an abnormal vibration of the vocal folds. The voice is breathy when too much air passes incompletely apposed vocal folds, as in unilateral vocal fold paralysis or vocal fold mass. The voice is harsh when the vocal folds are stiff and vibrate irregularly, as is the case in laryngitis or malignancy. Heavy, edematous vocal folds produce a rough, low-pitched vocal quality. Stridor (a high-pitched, typically inspiratory, sound) is the result of turbulent airflow from a narrowed upper airway. Airway narrowing at or above the vocal folds produces inspiratory stridor. Airway narrowing below the vocal fold level produces either expiratory or biphasic stridor. The timing and rapidity of onset of stridor are critically important in determining the seriousness of the airway problem. All cases of stridor should be evaluated by a specialist and rapid-onset stridor should be evaluated emergently.