Rheumatic diseases usually promote several systemic
disorders, which can affect blood vessels, mucosa and serosa of the aerodigestive
tract Laryngeal involvement of autoimrnune disease maybe in
the form of vocal fold nodules and/or cricoarytenoid joint inflammation
.Descriptions of vocal fold lesions related to autoimmune diseases are
rare and focus mainly on rheumatoid nodules. But vocal fold pathology in
autoimmune disease which is recently discovered called the bamboo
node and its features are dfferent from those of rheumatoid nodules.
Objective (s) : to determine the relation between focal fold nodules
(Bamboo nodule) and autoimmune diseases.
Patients and Methods: 20 patients suffering from hoarseness of
voice with focal fold nodules (Bamboo nodule: white transverse submucosal
lesion in the vocal fold) before surgical excision, all patients were subjected
to laryngostroboscopy, clinical rheumatologic assessment, laboratory
and immunological tests for autoimmune diseases.
Results: 20 patients with vocal fold bamboo nodule were included in
the study, 80% were females, 12 cases proved to be systemic lupus erythematosus
(60%), 6 cases with scleroderma (30%), 2 cases with mixed
connective tissue disease (10%).
Conclusion: patients with vocal fold nodules with high erythrocyte e
sedimentation rate should be suspected to have an underlying autoimmune
disease.
Vocal fold Bamboo nodule is considered to be an early evidence of autoimmune
disease so medical treatment should be taken after its surgical
excision. |
