SHREVEPORT, LOUISIANA

Otolaryngological examinations, videostroboscopic image analysis, and laryngeal electromyography were used as a test battery for a critical evaluation in 80 patients. The vocal fold movements were categorized into mobility, restricted mobility, immobility with different positions, and overactive movement. Laryngeal electromyography was conducted in all patients and the results were classified into normal, neuropathic, and myopathic patterns. The electromyographic data were integrated with videostroboscopic findings, interpreted with knowledge of biomechanical and electrophysiological mechanisms of the larynx, and correlated clinically with underlying diseases. It is suggested that neurolaryngological procedures are most clinically useful when embedded in a global ensemble, which is dictated by a decision-making algorithm.