Reinke’s Edema: Diagnosis and treatment
Reinke’s edema is bilateral, rarely observed in a single vocal cord, and affects both men and women. It is the result of chronic stimulation, most often caused by smoke, and involves an accumulation of fluid (edema) in the space between the vocal muscle and the covering mucosa.
The main symptom is a persistent voice alteration (dysphonia) and may also present with coughing and throat clearing. When the edema is significant, it can also lead to breathing difficulties.
In other cases, dysphonia can be a symptom of the presence of a vocal cord polyp or a cystic formation within them.
Good management of the edema should initially include controlling the causes of irritation. Specifically, a patient who manages to stop smoking, accompanying this phase with speech-language therapy, could achieve a reduction in the edema (if it is not very large), avoiding any type of operation. Through therapy, a correct balance between breathing and vocal emission can be re-established, resolving defects in the use of the phonatory organ.
For proper voice recovery, it is important that the patient undergoes vocal rehabilitation sessions both before and after the intervention. In these sessions, the speech therapist should design an exercise program that facilitates new postural, breathing, and phonation habits.
If you want to learn how to pay more attention to your voice and improve performance, several strategies are suggested, included in the Master in Voice Rehabilitation
Reinke’s Edema Surgery
One of the most common questions asked by those affected by Reinke’s edema is: how long does a vocal cord edema operation take? It can happen that the nodules become large and speech-language therapy may be ineffective. In this case, the treatment of Reinke’s edema requires surgical operation. The operation is divided into two separate sessions. Reinke’s edema surgery is performed under general anesthesia, by introducing a rigid laryngoscope through the mouth, which allows direct visualization of the vocal cord plane. With the help of a surgical microscope and specialized microsurgical instruments, all necessary procedures are carried out to eliminate the edema without damaging the vocal cords. Furthermore, this methodology allows for a diagnosis of their nature.
Should particular circumstances arise during the operation, the possibility of using a laser to remove the lesions may be considered.
The Reinke’s edema operation is performed in a 15-minute session and usually requires a post-operative period of 2 weeks.
Reiki, Renke, Rinke, Reiken?
The correct way to spell this condition is Reinke, although many people call it ‘Reinke’s edema‘ (removing the ‘i’), ‘rienke edema’ by changing the order of the vowels, or ‘reink edema‘, perhaps adjusting to the usual way we tend to shorten unfamiliar words. A bigger problem, if you say it wrong in a conversation, is calling it ‘Reiki edema‘, where you are combining an oriental technique of channeling and transmitting vital energy through the laying on of hands, used to obtain peace and balance at all levels, with a disease like edema. Try not to call Reinke’s Edema ‘Reiki Edema’ if you want to avoid an embarrassing situation.
To conclude, we recommend the practical guide, prepared by speech therapist Violeta Rams Montesinos, where the speech therapist can guide their treatment for the patient with Reinke’s Edema. It is a proposal of possible exercises, without forgetting that each case is unique and therapy must be personalized according to the specific needs and capabilities of the patient.
Consult the Practical Guide: Rehabilitation of Reinke’s Edema*
*Published in issue No. 61 of Logopedia.mail magazine, April 1, 2013. Author Violeta Rams Montesinos