Ultrasound for Throat Issues
Recruiting in Palo Alto (17 mi)
Overseen byAnaïs Rameau, MD
Age: 18+
Sex: Any
Travel: May Be Covered
Time Reimbursement: Varies
Trial Phase: Academic
Recruiting
Sponsor: Weill Medical College of Cornell University
Disqualifiers: Age under 18, Open neck wound
No Placebo Group
Approved in 3 Jurisdictions
Trial Summary
What is the purpose of this trial?
Investigators will assess the usefulness of using ultrasound in office procedures for laryngology interventions. Participants who qualify will be adults who are undergoing superior laryngeal nerve block, injection laryngoplasty, swallowing evaluation, voice evaluation and voice therapy.
Will I have to stop taking my current medications?
The trial information does not specify whether you need to stop taking your current medications. It's best to discuss this with the trial coordinators or your doctor.
What data supports the effectiveness of the treatment Ultrasound for Throat Issues?
Is ultrasound generally safe for humans?
How does ultrasound treatment for throat issues differ from other treatments?
Ultrasound treatment for throat issues is unique because it is a non-invasive imaging technique that provides high-resolution images of the throat's structures, which can help in diagnosing and managing conditions without the need for more invasive procedures like endoscopy. This makes it particularly useful during situations like the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, where reducing exposure to aerosol-generating procedures is important.1112131415
Eligibility Criteria
Adults with voice and swallowing issues like vocal cord paralysis, weakness, atrophy, hoarseness, coughing, or difficulty swallowing may join. Specific details on who can't participate are not provided.Inclusion Criteria
I am over 18 and do not have any problems swallowing.
I am over 18 and advised to have a nerve block for my cough.
I am over 18 and getting checked for voice issues.
See 3 more
Exclusion Criteria
I am between 18 and 99 years old.
I have an open wound on my neck, including a tracheostomy.
Trial Timeline
Screening
Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial
2-4 weeks
Treatment
Participants undergo ultrasound-guided procedures such as superior laryngeal nerve block, injection laryngoplasty, and evaluations for swallowing and voice
1 day
1 visit (in-person)
Follow-up
Participants are monitored for changes in volume of injectate and patient comfort measures
4 weeks
1 visit (in-person)
Treatment Details
Interventions
- Ultrasound (Procedure)
Trial OverviewThe trial is testing the use of ultrasound in routine office procedures for patients with laryngeal conditions. It will evaluate how helpful and practical ultrasound is during nerve blocks, injection treatments into the vocal cords, and voice/swallow assessments.
Participant Groups
6Treatment groups
Experimental Treatment
Group I: Vocal Cord ParesisExperimental Treatment1 Intervention
Adult patients with vocal fold atrophy, paresis, or paralysis diagnosed at the Sean Parker Institute for the Voice who are planned to undergo injection laryngoplasty will be invited to take part in the study.
Group II: Vocal Cord ParalysisExperimental Treatment1 Intervention
Adult patients with vocal fold atrophy, paresis, or paralysis diagnosed at the Sean Parker Institute for the Voice who are planned to undergo injection laryngoplasty will be invited to take part in the study.
Group III: Vocal Cord AtrophyExperimental Treatment1 Intervention
Adult patients with vocal fold atrophy, paresis, or paralysis diagnosed at the Sean Parker Institute for the Voice who are planned to undergo injection laryngoplasty will be invited to take part in the study.
Group IV: DysphoniaExperimental Treatment1 Intervention
Adult patients referred to the Sean Parker Institute for the Voice for voice assessment will undergo standard medical history including collection of age, gender, occupation, characteristics of voice complaints, and prior evaluation and treatments. Additionally, patients diagnosed with muscle tension dysphonia will be evaluated by ultrasound for the presence, size, and function of their suprahyoid musculature.
Group V: DysphagiaExperimental Treatment1 Intervention
Adult patients referred to the Sean Parker Institute for the Voice for swallowing assessment will undergo standard medical history including collection of age, gender, occupation, characteristics of swallowing complaints, and prior evaluation and treatments. Adult patients without swallowing complaints will also be recruited to define normal anatomy and variation.
Group VI: CoughExperimental Treatment1 Intervention
Adult patients who are seen at the Sean Parker Institute for the Voice and are determined to have neurogenic cough for which superior laryngeal nerve block is recommended will undergo this procedure under ultrasound guidance. Patients without neurogenic cough will also be recruited for ultrasound assessment to establish landmarks and normal variation.
Find a Clinic Near You
Research Locations NearbySelect from list below to view details:
Weill Cornell MedicineNew York, NY
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Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?
Weill Medical College of Cornell UniversityLead Sponsor
References
Bedside ultrasound maximizes patient satisfaction. [2022]Bedside ultrasound (US) is associated with improved patient satisfaction, perhaps as a consequence of improved time to diagnosis and decreased length of stay (LOS).
Ultrasound contrast agent delivered per os first diagnoses pharyngoesophageal tumour. [2019]Oral administration of ultrasound contrast agents has been described very little so far in medical literature. These agents are mainly administered intravenously and, less commonly, intracavitarily. We present the case of a patient with a cervical mass in whom sonographic examination with per os administration of SonoVue led to the diagnosis of a pharyngoesophageal tumour. The diagnosis was confirmed on barium swallow and endoscopy-guided biopsy.
Effect of Therapeutic Ultrasound for Neck Pain: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. [2021]To evaluate the effects and safety of therapeutic ultrasound in patients with neck pain.
Ultrasound in speech therapy with adolescents and adults. [2019]The present paper comprises an overview of techniques using ultrasound in speech (re)habilitation. Ultrasound treatment techniques have been developed for English lingual stops, vowels, sibilants, and liquids. These techniques come from a series of small n studies with adolescents and adults with severe hearing impairment, residual speech impairment or accented speech at the Interdisciplinary Speech Research Laboratory at the University of British Columbia. Ultrasound allows excellent visualization of tongue shape features, which is especially useful for feedback during speech (re)habilitation. Further research is needed to evaluate the efficacy of ultrasound in speech (re)habilitation.
A Novel Assessment Method With Ultrasound for Obstructive Tonsillar Hypertrophy in Children. [2021]To develop a new method for the objective evaluation of airway obstruction due to tonsillar hypertrophy using ultrasound (US) in children.
Diagnostic ultrasound equipment. Safety and dosimetry. [2005]A survey of present opinions on the safety of diagnostic ultrasound applications is presented together with some data on output levels. Physical mechanisms involved in potential adverse effects are described. Labelling requirements of the equipment are defined and specified. These requirements are contained in a recent proposal of the Netherlands' Committee on the Safety of Ultrasound.
The safety of deFinity and Optison for ultrasound image enhancement: a retrospective analysis of 78,383 administered contrast doses. [2022]The purpose of this retrospective analysis was to define the incidence of severe adverse events after exposure to ultrasound contrast agents.
[Technical safety in ultrasound diagnosis]. [2006]Technical devices and systems are getting more and more complex in diagnostic ultrasound. Safety aspects of ultrasound equipment are defined as "electrical safety", "safety of ultrasound" and "functional safety". Proposals are made to increase the safety of ultrasound and its interactions with mammalian cell cultures in order to establish a biological standard. A model of safety control is discussed. In future it will be necessary to pay increasing attention to questions on the efficiency of ultrasonic diagnosis and the responsibility of the examiner, since safe equipment alone cannot guarantee safe results if the examiner is unable to use the equipment properly and to interpret the resulting data correctly.
Knowledge of the bio-effects of ultrasound among physicians performing clinical ultrasonography: Results of a survey conducted by the Italian Society for Ultrasound in Medicine and Biology (SIUMB). [2021]Safety issues should always be kept in mind when using diagnostic ultrasound, which is associated with potentially hazardous bio-effects, especially with the introduction of new technologies.
Safety of ultrasound contrast agents. [2020]The use of ultrasound contrast agents has increased over recent years. The Contrast Media Safety Committee (CMSC) of the European Society of Urogenital Radiology (ESUR) decided to review the safety of ultrasound contrast agents in humans and to draw up guidelines. A comprehensive literature search and review was carried out. The resulting report was discussed by the CMSC of ESUR and at the 11th European Symposium on Urogenital Radiology in Santiago de Compostela, Spain, in 2004. Ultrasound contrast agents approved for clinical use are well tolerated, and serious adverse reactions are rarely observed. Adverse events are usually minor (e.g. headache, nausea, altered taste, sensation of heat) and self-resolving. These symptoms may not be related to the ultrasound contrast materials as they have also been observed in placebo-control groups. Intolerance to some components may occur. Generalized allergy-like reactions occur rarely. Ultrasound contrast agents are generally safe. The ultrasound scanning time and the acoustic output should be kept to the lowest level consistent with obtaining diagnostic information. Adverse reactions should be treated symptomatically.
An update on the use of ultrasound imaging in oral and maxillofacial surgery. [2022]Ultrasound is a relatively inexpensive, non-invasive, and readily available technique that is well tolerated by patients. It is particularly useful in the examination of superficial structures where the use of a high frequency linear probe (7.5-12 MHz) produces high definition multi-planar images. The spatial resolution achieved is superior to other methods of cross-sectional imaging and, when combined with tissue biopsying techniques such as fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) or core biopsy samples, it is rendered a highly specific diagnostic tool. This article provides an overview of the use of ultrasound for common head and neck conditions, including its use in salivary gland disease, and for the assessment of cervical lymphadenopathy.
Ultrasonography of the larynx: Novel use during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic (Review). [2021]Few articles have been published on the subject of laryngeal ultrasonography. However, considering the increased power and accuracy of ultrasound technology, this imaging modality should be reevaluated. The present review aimed to increase the awareness of fellow specialists regarding the use of this imaging tool in healthcare units that do not benefit from onsite ear, nose and throat (ENT) service. We illustrate the ultrasonographic examination protocol for the larynx along with the relevant anatomic landmarks. We review cases with laryngeal tumoral pathology that underwent ultrasonographic examination for improved management. All findings were confirmed through computerized tomography (CT) and endoscopy performed by the ENT specialist. The ultrasound of the larynx has potential utility in diagnosis (e.g., laryngeal abnormalities, speech and swallowing abnormalities, identification of endotracheal tube placement), treatment (e.g., guidance of percutaneous tracheostomy and cricothyrotomy) and prognosis (e.g., prediction of postextubation stridor and difficult intubation). This imaging modality could be useful in the current SARS-CoV-2 pandemics in reducing the exposure to invasive maneuvers producing aerosol, such as endoscopy.
Laryngeal ultrasonography in infants and children: a new way of investigating. Normal and pathological findings. [2019]Ultrasound of the larynx appears as a new way of imaging the larynx in infants and children. The normal sonographic anatomy is briefly described. The pathological findings of this method, its advantages and its drawbacks are discussed. It appears to be a very interesting method for functional disorders and space-occupying lesions.
Head and neck ultrasound: why now? [2016]This article provides an overview of ultrasound and the techniques for its use by otolaryngologists in diagnosing and treating neck masses and lesions. Head and neck ultrasound is extremely useful in diagnosing neck masses and lesions and in facilitating many procedures that are commonly performed on the head and neck. Although in the past these studies were generally performed by radiologists, clinicians are now able to perform high-quality ultrasound studies and ultrasound-guided procedures in the head and neck. Given the advanced knowledge of head and neck anatomy and disease processes that otolaryngologists possess, head and neck ultrasound offers a logical and valuable extension of the physical examination. Recent improvements in ultrasound resolution, portability, and affordability have provided an excellent impetus for otolaryngologists to incorporate ultrasound into their office and operative practices.
[Sonography of the larynx in childhood: new perspectives due to the use of computerized sonography. 1: Anatomy and method]. [2006]We report on new perspectives in diagnostic ultrasound of the larynx, which has become possible by applications of computer sonography. To our knowledge no such comprehensive ultrasonic diagnostics in children are reported as yet in the area of larynx. All examinations were performed with a computed sonography system (Acuson 128). We used a linear transducer with a penetration corresponding to 5 MHz an a resolution corresponding to 10 MHz. The frame rate was around 25 Hz and thus enabled a good reproduction of dynamic processes. As we could show, it is possible to visualize all significant structures of the larynx including the thyroid cartilage, the vocal ligament, the vocalis muscle, the arytenoid cartilage and the piriform fossa. Of course the vestibular fold and the cervical musculature are also demonstrable. The high frame rate of the instrument anaibled a good reproduction of dynamic processes. The sonographic demonstration of anatomical structures is possible as well as a functional diagnosis.