AB0521 EVALUATION OF LARYNGEAL IMPAIRMENT IN PATIENTS WITH SJÖGREN’S SYNDROME
Authors: Benedikt Hofauer, Andreas Knopf, Carmen Unterhofer, Naglaa Mansour, Lara Kirschstein, Simone Graf
Journal: Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases (2019)

<h3>Background:</h3> Hyposalivation in patients with Sjögren's Syndrome is causative for oral dryness, one of the main symptoms of this disease. So far only little attention has been paid to a possible impairment of laryngeal functions due to the hyposalivation, even though, especially in younger and working patients, signs of laryngeal involvement often have an impact on the patient's quality of life. <h3>Objectives:</h3> The objective of this study is to evaluate the laryngeal impairment in patients with Sjögren's Syndrome. <h3>Methods:</h3> Patients with Sjögren's Syndrome diagnosed according to the AECG classification criteria were included in this study. Salivary function was evaluated by the measurement of the unstimulated salivary flow (USF). The laryngeal function was evaluated according to the European Laryngological Society protocol<sup>1</sup>, which includes five different items: perception (roughness, breathiness, hoarseness), videostroboscopy, acoustics (jitter, dysphonia severity index, DSI), aerodynamics and subjective rating by the patient (voice handicap index, VHI). <h3>Results:</h3> Eighteen patients (15 female, mean age 63 years) were included in the examination. Mean USF was 0.6 ml/5 min (±0.5). The auditory-perceptual assessment resulted in slight and moderate deviance in 14 and 2 patients for roughness of the voice, in slight and moderate deviance in 12 and 3 patients for breathiness and in slight, moderate and severe deviance in 14, 3 and 1 patient for hoarseness. Evaluation of acoustics resulted in abnormal values in 12 patients (67%). DSI revealed mild dysphonia in 7, moderate dysphonia in 6 and severe dysphonia in 1 patient. Evaluation of aerodynamics was abnormal in 12 (maximum phonation time) and 11 (phonation quotient) patients. Analysis of the VHI resulted in grade 0 in 5 patients (almost certainly not noticeable suffering), grade 1 in 8 patients (more likely unnoticeable than conspicuous suffering), grade 2 in 3 patients (more probably noticeable than not) and grad 3 in 2 patients (certainly noticeable suffering). <h3>Conclusion:</h3> The evaluation of various laryngeal functions in patients with Sjögren's Syndrome unfolded an impairment of different aspects. Questions on laryngeal involvement should be implemented in the anamnesis of these patients and the application of screening methods should be further investigated. <h3>References</h3> [1] Dejonckers PH, et al. A basic protocol for functional assessment of voice pathology, especially for investigating the efficacy of (phonosurgical) treatment and evaluating new assessment techniques. Guideline elaborated by the Committee on Phoniatrics of the European Laryngological Society (ELS). Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol 2001. <h3>Disclosure of Interests:</h3> Benedikt Hofauer Consultant for: Consultant for Galvani Bioelectronics for the area of sleep disorders., Andreas Knopf: None declared, Carmen Unterhofer: None declared, Naglaa Mansour: None declared, Lara Kirschstein: None declared, Simone Graf: None declared