Posterior Cricoarytenoid Myoplasty with Medialization Thyroplasty in the Management of Refractory Abductor Spasmodic Dysphonia

Of the approximately 100,000 Americans with primary (idiopathic) laryngeal dystonia, 10% to 15% are thought to have the abductor form. Botulinum A toxin injected into the posterior cricoarytenoid muscle and/or cricothyroid muscle has been employed as the “gold standard” for therapeutic management; however, successful results are significantly less frequent than with injections for the adductor form. This report describes a new phonosurgical procedure, posterior cricoarytenoid myoplasty with medialization thyroplasty, designed for these refractory patients. Posterior cricoarytenoid myoplasty with medialization thyroplasty has been performed on 3 patients with abductor laryngeal dystonia. All patients had failed at least 5 previous botulinum A injections to the posterior cricoarytenoid and cricothyroid muscles. All patients underwent preoperative and 3 postoperative (2 weeks, 3 months, and 1 year) phonatory analyses. Analysis consisted of recording an aloud reading of a standard passage while a blinded trained speech pathologist counted prolonged voiceless consonants. The patients also completed a satisfaction survey at 1 year. The results demonstrated significant, long-lasting, uniform reduction in breathy breaks in all subjects. The participants all judged their symptoms as greatly improved. Bilateral procedures may be necessary, but should be staged to prevent possible airway compromise. When applied appropriately, posterior cricoarytenoid myoplasty with medialization thyroplasty is a viable tool in the management of refractory abductor laryngeal dystonia.