Dysphonia

Lack of function or malfunction of the vocal cords are not as common manifestations of neuromuscular disorders as dysarthria. It is typically seen in central diseases such as Parkinson disease. Certain muscle and nerve disorders affect the vocal cords, but in these cases, other features of these diseases make the diagnosis easy. Myasthenia gravis (MG) may present with intermittent hoarseness only early in the course of the disease. Consultation with an ear, nose, throat (ENT) specialist is recommended to characterize the type of cord pathology. Hysterical hoarseness and weakness are not unusual presentations to neuromuscular clinics. Unilateral vocal cord palsy is usually due to recurrent laryngeal nerve pathology.