Case Study #1

Adele, the British pop star, recently underwent surgery for a vocal fold polyp with hemorrhage. We’ll use her case to study the effects of a benign laryngeal growth on the voice.

1. Define vocal fold polyp and hemorrhage. Draw a picture of a vocal polyp as seen by the speech pathologist or ENT physician through videoendoscopy.
2. Explain how polyps develop. Include factors besides vocal abuse or misuse thatcontribute to polyp formation. Are vocal fold polyps cancerous? Are they contagious?
3. Describe the effects of polyps on voice production. How does the voice sound when a polyp is present? How does the person feel?
   
4. Explain how vocal fold polyps can be treated. Include a description of voicetherapy that can be carried out by a speech pathologist and surgical treatments that are performed by a physician.
   
5. From reading some recent articles, it appears that there is not a consensus on whetherpolyps should be treated surgically or with voice therapy. What treatment recommendation would you make for a fellow student who has a vocal fold polyp – voice therapy, surgery, or both? Justify your recommendation (explain the advantages and disadvantages of both types of treatment).

Resources
• Vocal fold nodules and polyps (ASHA)
• Causes of nodules and polyps (ASHA)
• Adele speaks about vocal cord surgery (Fauquier ENT)
• Adele’s Grammy comeback (WebMD)
• General article on voice therapy (Voice and Swallowing Institute)
• Voice therapy goals for nodules and polyps (Voice and Swallowing Inst)
• Laser surgery for polyps (journal article)
• Voice treatment for polyps (journal article)