Quality of Life After Botulinum Toxin Injection in Patients with Spasmodic Dysphonia: A Single-Center Retrospective Study
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Abstract
Spasmodic dysphonia (SD) is a vocal pathology characterized by tense, spasmodic, and tremulous voice, affecting the intrinsic laryngeal musculature. It is characterized by a series of involuntary and unpredictable contractions, and two main types have been described: abductor and adductor, with the last one being the most frequent. To date, botulinum toxin is considered the best option for treating this pathology.
A study was carried out on 17 patients between 33 and 77 years old, men and women, with a diagnosis of spasmodic dysphonia before and after treatment with botulinum toxin. The patients were clinically evaluated using the Vocal Handicap Index (VHI) and a Visual-Analog Scale to know the benefit and improvement of voice and life quality with the application of this substance in people suvocalffering from this dystonia, as well as the dose and commercial brand used, to validate significant differences between the described variables.
After the substance was applied, an improvement in the score, absence of tremor, evidence of other dystonias, gender differences, and age group according to the literature were observed.
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