Caracterización clínica de la parálisis de cuerdas vocales en pacientes mayores a 18 años atendidos en el servicio de otorrinolaringología del Hospital Teodoro Maldonado Carbo durante el año 2018 al año 2021.

Abstract

Objective: To analyze the clinical characterization of vocal cord paralysis in patients over 18 years of age attended at the Otorhinolaryngology Service of the Teodoro Maldonado Carbo Hospital from 2018 to 2021. Materials and methods: This is a retrospective, descriptive, and observational study carried out in patients diagnosed with laryngeal paralysis in the otorhinolaryngology area of the Teodoro Maldonado Carbo Hospital in the city of Guayaquil. Information was collected through the search for patient medical records in the AS-400 system of the hospital's otorhinolaryngology area. Results: This analysis was performed on a sample of 193 patients, of whom 69.43% were women, representing a total of 134 patients. The most common symptom was dysphonia, which presented as the sole symptom in 36.27% of cases. Most cases of vocal cord paralysis were observed on the left side, with a prevalence of 42.49%. The most frequently identified cause was post-thyroidectomy etiology, accounting for 74.09% of cases. Conclusion: Vocal cord paralysis occurs more frequently in females and from the fifth decade of life onwards. The most common clinical manifestation is dysphonia, regardless of its laterality, and the most frequent cause is post-surgical etiology, especially after thyroidectomies.