• Journal of the Korean Society of Laryngology, Phoniatrics and Logopedics
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.17-21
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• 2010

Dysphonia is a medical terminology for voice disorders characterized by hoarseness, harshness, weakness, or even loss of voice ; any impairment in ability to produce voice sounds using the vocal organs, larynx, The causes of dysphonia can be classified into two groups, organic and functional. Functional dysphonia includes spasmodic dysphonia, muscle tension dysphonia, mutational dysphonia and conversion dysphonia, etc, The findings of laryngoscopy in these dysphonia are almost normal. Therefore, physicians should diagnosis these diseases from careful history taking and abundant understandings about the phonation pattern, Organic dysphonia is caused by anatomical problems in the larynx, especially on the vocal fold, Some lesions, however, are not easily found because these lesions are too small, or located on the lower lip of vibrating vocal fold. Laryngopharyngeal reflux induced laryngitis, vascular lesions, sulcus vocalis, vocal atropy including presbylaryngis, and mucosal tears are common lesions easily missed in laryngoscopy, Therefore, a high index of suspicion is necessary to avoid missing vocal fold mucosal lesions, and the strobovideolaryngoscopy is indispensable in making the diagnosis,

• Journal of the Korean Society of Laryngology, Phoniatrics and Logopedics
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.5-10
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• 2016

Variable systemic diseases affect larynx and vocal fold and result in voice change. Asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease make increase of intra-abdomimal pressure followed by reflux of gastric acid, which stimulate vagal-bronchopulomary reflex aggravating cough and respiratory disturbance. Fungal laryngitis in the general population is extremely rare, but can occur in immunocompromised AIDS patients. Although, initially, empirical antifungal therapy for candidiasis is often given without biopsy, diagnostic direct laryngoscopy and biopsy is imperative if a substantial clinical response is not rapidly achieved. In the highly active anti-retroviral therapy era, HIV-positive patients are living longer and are at higher risk for developing non-AIDS-defining malignancies. The incidence of head and neck cancer (HNC) which is related with human papilloma virus infection has increased. The survival is significantly lower among the AIDS-HNC patients with CD4 counts ${\leq}200cells/{\mu}L$. Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) cause voice disturbance by developing cricoarytenoid joints fixation or nodule on vocal fold. Post-menopausal voice disorder (PMVD) is caused by decreased secretion of estrogen-progesterone resulting in decrease of fundamental frequency (F0). Hormonal replacement therapy is helpful to reduce F0 decrease. RA and PMVD result in slight voice change, but it could crucial in professional voice user.