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Laryngeal Photos: Mucosal disorders: Vocal polypsFor information about the character of vocal polyps see diagnosing benign mucosal disease. | |
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A generic polyp. Polyps are broad based elevations of the vocal folds. Because they are caused by vocal over use, they are often associated with other over use disorders such as the capillary ectasias seen here. |
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Polyp on left vocal fold with capillary in it. |
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Polyp on left vocal fold with capillary in it seen during stroboscopy while vibrating at a high pitch. Note how anterior and posterior segments on the right vocal fold are vibrating out of phase. At this tension, the vocal folds can only approximate at the polyp and the anterior and posterior segments never come together. |
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Polyp on left vocal fold with capillary in it seen during stroboscopy while vibrating at a mid range pitch. This photo is taken at maximum opening to demonstrate the translucency of the polyp. It compresses a little at this pitch. |
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Polyp on left vocal fold with capillary in it seen during stroboscopy while vibrating at a low pitch. This photo is taken at maximum opening to demonstrate that at a low pitch there is little tension of the vocal folds and the polyp can literally press into the vocal fold. The low pitch in this photo is at the patients speaking pitch. |
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Polyps during breathing when the vocal folds are apart. |
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Same polyps at the beginning of phonation. There is a gap of air in front of and behind the polyp which causes the principal symptoms of all vocal fold elevations - air leak, particularly evident at high soft singing pitches. |
Contact the author: James P. Thomas, MD
Updated 1215 April 2004 |