Endoscopic and Phoniatric Evaluation in Singing Students.

Objectives: In To analyze laryngostroboscopic findings and ENT/phoniatric examination results in a group of singing students and in a control group of non-singing subjects to emphasize the importance of ENT/phoniatric examination and of laryngostroboscopy before taking up singing.

Methods: 56 singing students and 60 healthy euphonic non-singer volunteers were recruited. In each subject a perceptual assessment and a self-assessment (VHI) of the voice were performed.

Dysphagia in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: Relationships between disease progression and Fiberoptic Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing.

Objective: Our aim was to evaluate the relationship between the disease severity of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) and the following parameters of Fiberoptic Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing (FEES): premature spillage, post-swallowing residue and aspiration.

Methods: We studied 202 patients (95 women and 107 men) with ALS; of these, 136 had spinal and 66 had bulbar onset. They were analyzed according to the Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Functioning Rating Scale (ALSFRS) and the b-ALSFRS subscale (bulbar scale).

Complications with Fiberoptic Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing in 2,820 Examinations.

Objective: To perform a retrospective evaluation of the incidence of complications and adverse events during fiberoptic endoscopic evaluation of swallowing (FEES) in 2,820 examinations.

Patients And Methods: Subjects included in- and outpatients at Pisa University Hospital referred for FEES by other physicians due to dysphagia symptoms. Neurologic diseases were the most commonly diagnosed conditions in the patients tested (48.

Optimal treatment of laryngopharyngeal reflux disease.

Laryngopharyngeal reflux is defined as the reflux of gastric content into larynx and pharynx. A large number of data suggest the growing prevalence of laryngopharyngeal symptoms in patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease. However, laryngopharyngeal reflux is a multifactorial syndrome and gastroesophageal reflux disease is not the only cause involved in its pathogenesis.