What is dysphonia?

Dysphonia is a condition that develops when there is impaired functioning of one of the nerves that control the movement of the vocal cords.

In the normal state, the muscles that control the movement and tension of the vocal cords are connected to long nerves that loop down into the neck to attach to the sides of the larynx (voice box). These nerves, called the recurrent laryngeal nerves, pass beneath the lobes of thyroid gland. If thyroid cancer spreads beyond the thyroid gland, it may invade one of the recurrent laryngeal nerves, damaging it to the point where it can no longer stimulate movement of the vocal cord. This could be seen with laryngoscopy.

During thyroid surgery, extreme care must be taken by the surgeon to avoid accidentally cutting or damaging the recurrent laryngeal nerves. If a recurrent laryngeal nerve is damaged, this may impair the motion of the vocal cord. As a result a patient's voice may sound very faint and raspy.

In some cases, dysphonia is a temporary condition that gradually resolves. If dysphonia persists, a patient may need to undergo a special operation called a laryngoplasty to reposition the impaired vocal cord in order to help strengthen the voice.

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