Paediatric Voice Disorders in a Multidisciplinary Voice Clinic: A Retrospective Observational Study

Vollständiger Abstract

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ABSTRACT Background Paediatric voice disorders encompass a broad diagnostic spectrum, but contemporary descriptions of multidisciplinary voice clinic case‐mix, assessment and management remain limited. Methods We performed a retrospective observational study of routinely collected clinical data from a quaternary multidisciplinary paediatric voice clinic in the United Kingdom. Children and adolescents aged 4–17 years who were seen between January 2024 and December 2025 were included. Patient‐level variables included demographics, symptom duration, referral‐to‐first clinic waiting time, and primary diagnosis. Appointment‐level variables included documentation of patient‐reported outcome measures, endoscopic findings reported in clinic letters, management outcomes, and procedure follow‐through. Results Of 111 listed appointments, 96 were attended (74 new and 22 follow‐up) and 15 were non‐attendances. These attended appointments represented 87 patients; median age at first appointment was 12 years (range 4–17 years), and 51/87 (58.6%) were male. Dysphonia was the main presenting symptom in 83/87 (95.4%). Median symptom duration at referral was 6.3 years (range 0.12–17.0 years), and median referral‐to‐first clinic waiting time was 154 days (range 16–1032 days). The most common diagnoses were vocal cord palsy (19/87, 21.8%), vocal cord nodules (11/87, 12.6%), and muscle tension dysphonia (9/87, 10.3%). In the vocal cord palsy/paresis subgroup ( n = 20), 15/20 were left‐sided and 13/20 were secondary to post‐cardiac surgery/patent ductus arteriosus ligation. Conclusions Children commonly experienced prolonged symptoms before specialist review, with a heterogeneous diagnostic spectrum and frequent vocal fold immobility. Standardised outcome capture and longer follow‐up are needed to evaluate interventions and inform referral guidance.