Palliative surgery for neoplastic unilateral vocal cord paralysis

Abstract

Background: Locally advanced, recurrent or metastatic neoplasms are the commonest causes of unilateral vocal cord paralysis (UVCP). The aim of the present study was to evaluate both survival and results of treatment of vocal cord medialization procedures in this group of patients. Methods: Fifty-seven patients (36 male, 21 female) with UVCP considered to be due to advanced malignancy who underwent medialization (Teflon injection or type I thyroplasty) between January 1994 and July 2000 were retrospectively reviewed. Results: The malignancy responsible for UVCP was non-small-cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) in 43 patients, small-cell lung carcinoma (SCLC) in four patients, thyroid carcinoma in thr..