Clinical Case Study: Pediatric Bilateral Benign Vocal Fold Lesions.
Robert Brinton Fujiki
PMID 40083860WHAT IT FOUND
A 4-year-old boy with benign vocal fold lesions completed six voice therapy sessions over 12 weeks.
Follow-up imaging showed smaller lesions and better vocal fold closure, while voice quality scores improved from moderate to mild dysphonia.
Key findings
01Voice therapy reduced lesion size and improved glottic closure and vocal fold vibration.
02Auditory-perceptual ratings of overall voice severity dropped from 65.5 to 22.2 on a 100-point scale.
03The child's parents reported no major change in vocal function despite the measured improvements.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
This is a single case report, so it cannot prove that the therapy caused the improvement or that it would work for other children. The parents did not perceive a major change in the child's voice, suggesting a disconnect between clinical measures and functional outcomes. Aerodynamic measures were not repeated due to equipment malfunction, leaving a gap in the physiological assessment. The child became distressed during the initial scope exam, which limited the tasks he could perform and the data collected.
Declared interests
The author declared no competing financial or non-financial interests.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that six sessions of voice therapy will resolve benign vocal fold lesions or improve daily voice function for every child. This is a single case where objective measures improved but parents saw little functional change, and the contribution of therapy cannot be separated from natural history or other factors.