Voice quality in Polish children with vocal fold nodules

Background Vocal fold nodules are a common cause of pediatric dysphonia. The aim of the study was to assess the acoustic structure of the voice in children with vocal fold nodules and investigate the relationship between objective and subjective measures. Material and methods The study group consisted of 223 children, aged 7 to 12 years with normal hearing. The control group included 213 children. All children underwent ENT and phoniatric examination including laryngovideostroboscopy (LVS), assessment of voice on the GRBAS perceptual scale, and acoustic analysis (spectrographic analysis using the Multi-Dimensional Voice Profile). Results In children with vocal fold nodules the average perceptual score for their voice was G1R1B0A0S2. No statistically significant effect of the child’s sex or age on the values of the MDVP parameters was found. The acoustic structure of the voice of children with childhood dysphonia and vocal fold nodules differed significantly from the acoustic structure of those in the control group. A relationship between GRBAS features and MDVP analysis was found. Conclusions Voice acoustic analysis is a valuable tool for assessing voice quality in children. The analysis can identify deviations from normal values that the human ear is unable to pick up.