Implications of Respirometric Evaluation for Diagnosis and Management of Vocal Fold Pathologies

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of the respirometer as a clinical tool in the diagnosis and management of laryngeal disease. Airflow measurements of an adult male with a vocal fold polyp are reported. A respirometric voice profile for this client was developed over a 14-week period representing 13 preoperative test sessions and one postoperative test session. The findings indicate that a respirometric voice profile may aid the voice pathologist in determining the effectiveness of ongoing therapy procedures and help provide more objective criteria in determining whether to continue or terminate voice therapy. Results suggest that the respirometer is sensitive to small changes in laryngeal function.