Clinical profile of patients with hoarseness – A retrospective study

Background: Hoarseness is one of the common complaints in day-to-day ear, nose, and throat practice. Elaborate history and examination along with laryngoscopy are essential to diagnose the underlying pathological condition. Aims and Objectives: This study was carried out to evaluate the clinical profile of patients presenting at our center with hoarseness, understanding the etiological conditions, its association with occupation, and the predisposing factors. Materials and Methods: This is a retrospective study done on patients above the age of 10 years, who presented to our outpatient department with hoarseness between January 2022 and December 2023. The demographic data, clinical history, and laryngoscopic findings were analyzed. Results: A total of 196 patients were assessed with M: F ratio of 1.17:1. The majority of patients (30.10%) presented in the 31–40 years age group. Maximum patients (74%) belong to rural areas. Housewives covered the major number of patients (23.47%). The etiology that was most commonly observed was acute laryngitis (28.57%) followed by chronic laryngitis (22.44%). Smoking was the leading predisposing factor seen in 33.16% of patients. Conclusion: The etiological range for hoarseness runs the gamut from minor voice disorders to lethal conditions like malignancy. Careful and thorough evaluation of every case helps in early diagnosis. Appropriate intervention is to be done at the earliest to reduce the morbidity and mortality caused by underlying disease and help the patient to get their normal voice back.