Laryngitis overview
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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Anthony Gallo, B.S. [2]
Overview
Laryngitis is an inflammation of the larynx. It causes a hoarse voice or the complete loss of the voice because of irritation to the vocal folds (vocal cords). Laryngitis is categorized as acute if it lasts less than a few days.[1] Otherwise, it is categorized as chronic and may last over 3 weeks.
Historical Perspective
Laryngitis is an ancient disease. In 1840, Dr. Jordan Roche Lynch, an English physician, published a case study on the treatment of acute laryngitis.[2] In 2005, Drs. Reveiz, Cardona, and Ospina demonstrated that antibiotics were not effective in the treatment of laryngitis.[3]
Classification
Based on the duration of symptoms, laryngitis may be classified into either acute or chronic.[4] Generally, acute laryngitis has an abrupt onset and is self-limiting; typically, it clears within 3-5 days.[5] Chronic laryngitis may be defined as lasting greater than 3 weeks.[6]
Pathophysiology
The voice box (larynx) is located at the top of the airway to the lungs (trachea). The larynx contains the vocal cords. When the vocal cords become inflamed or infected, they swell. This can cause hoarseness, and may sometimes block the airway.
Causes
Laryngitis may be the result of infectious or noninfectious causes. The most common causes of laryngitis are due to viral infections, and include rhinovirus, adenovirus, influenza virus, parainfluenza virus, and respiratory syncytial virus. Common bacterial causes of laryngitis include Staphylococcus aureus and Haemophilus influenzae.
Differentiating Laryngitis from Other Diseases
Laryngitis must be differentiated from upper respiratory tract infection, vocal fold cyst, nodule, or polyp, and laryngeal stenosis.
Diagnosis
Physical Examination
A physical examination can determine whether hoarseness is caused by a respiratory tract infection. Patients with lasting hoarseness (especially smokers) will need to see an ear, nose, andthroat doctor (otolaryngologist) for tests of the throat and upper airway.
References
- ↑ University of Michigan Health System. 2005. Laryngitis. McKesson Provider Technologies. Retrieved on May 16, 2007.
- ↑ Lynch JR (1841). "Case of acute laryngitis in which tracheotomy was performed". Prov Med Surg J (1840). 3 (60): 148–9. PMC 2489466. PMID 21379785.
- ↑ Reveiz L, Cardona AF, Ospina EG (2005). "Antibiotics for acute laryngitis in adults". Cochrane Database Syst Rev (1): CD004783. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD004783.pub2. PMID 15674965.
- ↑ Frazier MS, Drzymkowski J. Essentials of Human Diseases and Conditions - Text and Elsevier Adaptive Learning Package. Saunders; 2015.
- ↑ Weidner TG (1994). "Reporting behaviors and activity levels of intercollegiate athletes with an URI". Med Sci Sports Exerc. 26 (1): 22–6. PMID 8133733.
- ↑ Laryngitis. The Mayo Clinic http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/laryngitis/basics/causes/con-20021565 Accessed on September 28, 2016.