ear, nose, and throat disorders
Vocal Cord Paralysis
Introduction
Vocal cord paralysis is the inability to move the muscles that control the vocal cords. Paralysis can be caused by tumors, injuries, or nerve damage. Typical symptoms include voice changes and possible difficulty breathing. The diagnosis is based on examination of the voice box (larynx), bronchial tubes, or esophagus. Several procedures can help keep the airway from closing. Vocal cord paralysis may affect one or both vocal cords. Females are affected more often than males. can result from brain disorders, such as brain tumors, strokes, and Overview of Demyelinating Disorders (such as multiple sclerosis), or damage to the nerves that lead to the voice box (larynx). Nerve damage may be caused by noncancerous (benign) and cancerous (malignant) tumors; neck injury; many types of surgery that involve the neck or chest, such as surgical removal of the thyroid gland, spinal surgery, or heart surgery; a viral infection of the nerves; is a life-threatening disorder because the vocal cords cannot open enough to let air through properly. This paralysis can be caused by surgery of the spine through the front of the neck, surgical removal of the thyroid gland, insertion of a breathing tube into the windpipe (tracheal intubation), or diseases that affect the nerves and muscles (such as Myasthenia Gravis ). Paralysis may affect one vocal cord (one-sided) or both vocal cords (two-sided—not shown). 