Utility of Computed Tomography for Identifying Vocal Fold Motion Impairment Etiology

Abstract

Objectives: Although the role of computed tomography (CT) in vocal fold paralysis is well established, its utility in vocal fold motion impairment (VFMI) remains controversial. We aimed to examine the utility of CT in the etiological assessment of patients with unexplained VFMI and to identify the underlying pathological causes. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the records of consecutive adults with VFMI who underwent neck CT between June 2010 and March 2023. CT findings were correlated with management and final diagnoses. Results: CT helped identify the cause of VFMI in 119 of 177 patients (diagnostic yield: 67.23%). The accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity of CT in detecting the underlying causes of VFMI were 96.05%, 99.17%, and 89.47%, respectively. The leading cause of VFMI was malignancy, followed by idiopathic disease. Conclusion: CT is highly recommended in patients with unexplained VFMI because of its high accuracy and high diagnostic yield.