Contact Pressure Between the Vocal Folds in Reinke’s Edema: Experimental Observations on an Excised Human Larynx

Objective. To analyze the range of values of the contact pressure between the membranous vocal
folds with Reinke’s edema and to compare it to those observed in the absence of such a lesion.
Methods. Two human larynges were separately tested on the experimental bench, one of them with a bilateral
loose swelling of the vocal folds. Once in a glottal prephonatory configuration, airflow was increased until
achievement of self-sustained oscillations while recording aerodynamic, acoustic, electroglottographic data, and
contact pressure between the folds.
Results. We observed well-documented variations in acoustical parameters, as the decrease of the fundamental
frequency and the increase of the phonation threshold pressure. The results of the study also point to a significant
increase in the amplitude of the contact pressure in presence of the Reinke’s edema, and a lower degree of harmonicity
of the produced sounds.
Conclusion. This is the first report of ex vivo study of a larynx with Reinke’s edema. It highlights the increase in
the contact pressure during phonation, which possibly contributes to sustain the lesion once it appeared.