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Among the symptoms presented by patients with SARS-Cov-2 infection, we can find various otorhinolaryngological alterations. Dysphonia appears in up to 79% of infected patients during the acute phase. Dysphonia can also occur as a sequelae, often underestimated, possibly due to its appearance along with other symptoms, also in patients after prolonged intubation or tracheostomy. We present a systematic review of the literature with a bibliographic search in PubMed, Cochrane and Google Scholar, with MESH terms including studies in English and Spanish. The results of the studies found and the vocal manifestations in patients during COVID-19 disease and the consequences produced are analysed. Dysphonia is an acute manifestation of COVID-19 with alterations in aerodynamic and acoustic analysis and in fibrolaryngoscopy. Post-COVID dysphonia can be a persistent symptom that is often underestimated, requiring multidisciplinary management and speech therapy intervention. Laryngeal sequelae are common in post-intubation or post-tracheostomy patients and are related to intubation time, tube number, pronation and respiratory sequelae., (Copyright © 2024 Sociedad Española de Otorrinolaringología y Cirugía de Cabeza y Cuello. Published by Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: The enlarged vestibular aqueduct (EVA) is the most frequent malformation of the inner ear associated with sensorineural hearing loss (5-15%). It exists when the diameter in imaging tests is greater than 1.5 mm at its midpoint. The association between hearing loss and EVA has been described in a syndromic and non-syndromic manner. It can appear as a familial or isolated form and the audiological profile is highly variable. The gene responsible for sensorineural hearing loss associated with EVA is located in the same region described for Pendred syndrome, where the SCL26A4 gene is located., Objective: To describe a series of children diagnosed with EVA in order to study their clinical and audiological characteristics, as well as the associated genetic and vestibular alterations., Method: Retrospective study of data collection of children diagnosed with EVA, from April 2014 to February 2023., Results: Of the 17 cases, 12 were male and 5 were female. 5 of them were unilateral and 12 bilateral. In 5 cases, a cranial traumatism triggered the hearing loss. Genetic alterations were detected in 3 cases: 2 mutations in the SCL26A4 gene and 1 mutation in the MCT1 gene. 13 patients (76.5%) were rehabilitated with hearing aids and 9 of them required cochlear implantation., Discussion: The clinical importance of AVD lies in the fact that it is a frequent finding in the context of postneonatal hearing loss. It is convenient to have a high suspicion to diagnose it with imaging tests, to monitor its evolution, and to rehabilitate early., (Copyright © 2023 Sociedad Española de Otorrinolaringología y Cirugía de Cabeza y Cuello. Published by Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.)

Approximately 40% of children with deafness have an additional developmental disorder or major medical problem, which may delay the age of diagnosis of hearing loss and/or require intervention by other professionals. This situation is referred to as "deafness with added disability" (AD+). The reason why the population of hearing-impaired children is more likely to have associated added disabilities is that the risk factors for hearing impairment overlap with those for many other disabilities. These factors can influence various aspects of development, including language acquisition. It is important to check that appropriate care is received, the effectiveness of hearing aids or implants, as well speech therapy intervention strategies, and family adherence to sessions and appointments. The challenge posed by AD+ is early detection, to allow early and appropriate intervention, and the need for fluid transdisciplinary collaboration between all professionals involved, together with the involvement of the family., (Copyright © 2023 Sociedad Española de Otorrinolaringología y Cirugía de Cabeza y Cuello. Published by Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.)

Ototoxicity is defined as the damage, reversible or irreversible, produced in the inner ear by various substances that are called ototoxic and that can cause hearing loss and/or an alteration of the vestibular system. Permanent hearing loss significantly affects quality of life and is especially important in children. The lack or delay in its detection is frequent, since it often progresses in an inconspicuous manner until it affects communication and overall development. This impact can be minimized by following a strategy of audiological monitoring of ototoxicity, which allows for its early detection and treatment. This document recommends that children who are going to be treated with cisplatin or aminoglycosides be monitored. This CODEPEH review and recommendation document focuses on the early detection, prophylaxis, otoprotection, monitoring and treatment of ototoxicity caused by aminoglycosides and platinum-based antineoplastics in the paediatric population., (Copyright © 2021 Sociedad Española de Otorrinolaringología y Cirugía de Cabeza y Cuello. Published by Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Ototoxicity occurs in different percentages in patients after treatment with platinum-based chemotherapy or cranial radiation therapy. The aim of this study was to present our experience in ototoxicity monitoring., Material and Methods: A review was made of the registry of paediatric cancer patients referred to the Children's Hearing Loss Unit from 1999 to 2019., Results: Of the 46 patients referred to this unit, 41 had received platinum as part of their treatment, 17 patients underwent neurosurgery, and 18 patients received cranial radiation therapy. An anamnesis and otoscopy were performed on all of them, and the monitoring was carried out with tone-verbal audiometry and/or distortion products. Hearing loss was observed in eight patients (21.05% of patients referred for audiological follow-up) as a consequence of the treatment. It was impossible to determine the audiological situation in eight patients at the end of treatment. Hearing aid adaption was necessary in two patients. In coordination with Paediatric Oncology, a change from cisplatin to carboplatin due to bilateral grade two ototoxicity was considered appropriate during treatment in one patient., Conclusion: Adequate coordination with Paediatric Oncology is essential to carry out active surveillance for ototoxicity and to modify, if possible, the dosage or type of chemotherapy in case hearing is affected. In our experience, and following current recommendations, a pre-treatment assessment is usually performed, as well as monitoring during treatment, at the end of treatment, and annually thereafter due to the risk of a later development of hearing loss., (Copyright © 2021 Asociación Española de Pediatría. Published by Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.)

Programmes for early detection of congenital hearing loss have been successfully implemented mainly in developed countries, after overcoming some conceptual errors argued against their implementation and some criticism of their efficacy. However, some difficulties and weaknesses are still identified in these programmes: the detection of late-onset hearing loss and the percentage of children who did not pass the screening and did not complete the process of diagnosis and treatment, these being cases that are lost in the process. The purpose of this Document is to analyse these problems to determine areas for improvement and to emphasize one of the basic principles for the success of the programmes: continuous training for the interdisciplinary team. The result of the review process carried out by CODEPEH has been drafted as Recommendations for updating the Programmes with the evidence of the last decade, including advances in screening technology, the impact of the present knowledge on congenital infection by cytomegalovirus, genetic hearing loss research and control systems of lost to follow-up cases, treatment and follow up., (Copyright © 2020 Sociedad Española de Otorrinolaringología y Cirugía de Cabeza y Cuello. Published by Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.)

Objective: The aim of this study was to create and validate an abbreviated version of the Spanish Transsexual Voice Questionnaire for Male-to-Female Transsexuals (SvTVQ MtF )., Setting: The study was conducted by two referral hospitals for voice feminization surgery and by a university department of psychology and speech therapy, all in Spain., Subjects and Methods: We prospectively studied 51 male-to-female transsexuals who underwent voice feminization surgery between January 2017 and December 2018. The SvTVQ MtF was completed before and after surgery, and the 10 items with the greatest variation were selected by clinical consensus of an expert panel to develop the short version of the SvTVQ MtF (SvTVQ MtF -10). The correlation between the total score and the score for each item on the SvTVQ MtF and the SvTVQMtF-10 was studied. The internal consistency of the SvTVQ MtF -10 was analysed., Results: Good correlation (Pearson coefficient above .90) was found between the two questionnaires. A significant correlation was found between the total SvTVQ MtF -10 score and the score for each item. A significant negative correlation was found between the SvTVQ MtF and fundamental frequency after voice feminization surgery. Cronbach's α was .79., Conclusion: The SvTVQ MtF -10 is a valid short version of the SvTVQ MtF and can be used to quantify voice-related quality of life in MtF transsexuals., (Copyright © 2020 Sociedad Española de Otorrinolaringología y Cirugía de Cabeza y Cuello. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Single cochlear implantation usually provides substantial speech intelligibility benefits but bilaterally deaf, unilaterally implanted subjects will continue to experience limitations due to the head shadow effect, like single-sided deaf individuals. In the treatment of individuals with single-sided deafness one option is contralateral routing of signal (CROS) devices, which constitute a non-surgical intervention of the second ear in unilaterally implanted individuals., Method: Twelve experienced adult cochlear implant users with Naída Q70 processor and the CROS device used in combination participated in the study. For the study 3 conditions were provided: cochlear implant only, omnidirectional microphone mode (CROS deactivated); cochlear implant plus CROS activated, omnidirectional microphone mode and cochlear implant plus CROS activated, UltraZoom mode. Speech reception thresholds were determined in quiet and noise. Subjective feedback regarding the practical usability of the CROS device and the perceived benefit were collected., Results: There was a 27.6% improvement in speech understanding in quiet and 32.5% improvement in noise when CROS device was activated. Using advanced directional microphones, a statistically significant benefit of 35% was obtained. The responses to the questionnaires revealed that the subjects perceived benefit in their everyday lives when using the CROS device with their cochlear implants., Conclusion: The investigated CROS device used by unilateral CI recipients in cases where bilateral implantation is not an option provides both subjective and objective speech recognition benefit when the signal is directed to the CROS device. Unfavourable conditions where speech is presented from the cochlear implant side and noise from the CROS side or diffusely were not included in this evaluation since the CROS device adds additional noise and performance is expected to decrease as has previously been shown., (Copyright © 2020 Sociedad Española de Otorrinolaringología y Cirugía de Cabeza y Cuello. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Ototoxicity occurs in different percentages in patients after treatment with platinum-based chemotherapy or cranial radiation therapy. The aim of this study was to present experience in ototoxicity monitoring., Material and Methods: A review was made of the registry of paediatric cancer patients referred to the Children's Hearing Loss Unit from 1999 to 2019., Results: Of the 46 patients referred to this unit, 41 had received platinum as part of their treatment, 17 patients underwent neurosurgery, and 18 patients received cranial radiation therapy. An anamnesis and otoscopy were performed on all of them, and the monitoring was carried out with tone-verbal audiometry and/or distortion products. Hearing loss was observed in eight patients (21.05% of patients referred for audiological follow-up) as a consequence of the treatment. It was impossible to determine the audiological situation in eight patients at the end of treatment. Hearing aid adaption was necessary in two patients. In coordination with Paediatric Oncology, a change from cisplatin to carboplatin due to bilateral grade two ototoxicity was considered appropriate during treatment in one patient., Conclusion: Adequate coordination with Paediatric Oncology is essential to carry out active surveillance for ototoxicity and to modify, if possible, the dosage or type of chemotherapy in case hearing is affected. In our experience, and following current recommendations, a pre-treatment assessment is usually performed, as well as monitoring during treatment, at the end of treatment, and annually thereafter due to the risk of a later development of hearing loss., (Copyright © 2020. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U.)

IgG4-related disease is characterized by a lymphoplasmacytic infiltrate rich in IgG4-positive plasma cells, storiform fibrosis and obliterative phlebitis. It can present as parotid gland enlargement, tubulointerstitial nephritis, retroperitoneal fibrosis or pancreatitis, although nearly any organ can be affected. We report the case of a 37-year-old woman who presented with severe dysphonia and recurrent painful aphthous ulcers, with histopathological findings at the level of the larynx that revealed a lymphoplasmacytic infiltrate and IgG4 positivity. In addition, extensive studies were performed to rule out other diseases. Thus the diagnosis was IgG4-related laryngitis, an exceptional finding in the literature., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier España, S.L.U. and Sociedad Española de Reumatología y Colegio Mexicano de Reumatología. All rights reserved.)

The aim of this document is to improve the management and the treatment of unilateral or asymmetrical hearing loss in children. One in one thousand newborn infants has unilateral hearing loss and this prevalence increases with age, due to cases of acquired and delayed-onset hearing loss. Although the impact on the development and learning processes of children of these kinds of hearing loss have usually been minimized, if they are not treated they will impact on language and speech development, as well as overall development, affecting the quality of life of the child and his/her family. The outcomes of the review are expressed as recommendations aimed at clinical diagnosis and therapeutic improvement for unilateral or asymmetrical hearing loss., (Copyright © 2018 Sociedad Española de Otorrinolaringología y Cirugía de Cabeza y Cuello. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.)

Introduction and Objectives: Inadequate auditory feedback in prelingually deaf children alters the articulation of consonants and vowels. The purpose of this investigation was to compare vowel production in Spanish-speaking deaf children with cochlear implantation, and with hearing-aids with normal-hearing children by means of acoustic analysis of formant frequencies and vowel space., Methods: A total of 56 prelingually deaf children (25 with cochlear implants and 31 wearing hearing-aids) and 47 normal-hearing children participated. The first 2 formants (F1 and F2) of the five Spanish vowels were measured using Praat software. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and post hoc Scheffé test were applied to analyze the differences between the 3 groups. The surface area of the vowel space was also calculated., Results: The mean value of F1 in all vowels was not significantly different between the 3 groups. For vowels /i/, /o/ and /u/, the mean value of F2 was significantly different between the 2 groups of deaf children and their normal-hearing peers., Conclusion: Both prelingually hearing-impaired groups tended toward subtle deviations in the articulation of vowels that could be analyzed using an objective acoustic analysis programme., (Copyright © 2018 Sociedad Española de Otorrinolaringología y Cirugía de Cabeza y Cuello. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.)

Introduction and Objectives: Perceptual rating of overall voice quality and other more specific perceptual dimensions is difficult, as such judgments depend on the listener's subjectivity. Thus, finding objective, valid, and accessible clinical measures to include in comprehensive voice evaluation protocols is a priority. The purposes of this study were to 1) determine the diagnostic accuracy of a single acoustic measure, smoothed cepstral peak prominence (CPPS), to predict voice disorder status from sustained vowels and connected speech samples using the software Praat; 2) to determine the relationship between measures of CPPS and perceptual ratings of vocal quality; and 3) describe the normative values of CPPS., Method: Measures of CPPS were obtained from connected speech and sustained vowel recordings of 72 Spanish-speaking subjects with voice disorders and 52 nondysphonic Spanish-speaking subjects with no vocal disorders using freely downloadable Praat software. IBM SPSS Statistics software version 23 was used to complete the statistical analyses., Results: results revealed a 70% sensitivity rate, a specificity rate of 85%. Estimated severity for sustained vowels and connected speech were strongly correlated and significantly associated with listener ratings of dysphonia severity., Conclusions: A single acoustic measure of CPPS was highly predictive of voice disorder status using Praat software. Clinicians may consider using CPPS to complement clinical voice evaluation and screening protocols., (Copyright © 2018 Sociedad Española de Otorrinolaringología y Cirugía de Cabeza y Cuello. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.)

Introduction and Goals: During the last decade there have been multiple and relevant advances in conduction and mixed hearing loss treatment. These advances and the appearance of new devices have extended the indications for bone-conduction implants. The Scientific Committee of Audiology of the Sociedad Española de Otorrinolaringología y Cirugía de Cabeza y Cuello SEORL-CCC (Spanish Society of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery), together with the Otology and Otoneurology Committees, have undertaken a review of the current state of bone-conduction devices with updated information, to provide a clinical guideline on bone-conduction implants for otorhinolaryngology specialists, health professionals, health authorities and society in general., Methods: This clinical guideline on bone-conduction implants contains information on the following: 1) Definition and description of bone-conduction devices; 2) Current and upcoming indications for bone conduction devices: Magnetic resonance compatibility; 3) Organization requirements for a bone-conduction implant programme., Results and Conclusions: The purpose of this guideline is to describe the different bone-conduction implants, their characteristics and their indications, and to provide coordinated instructions for all the above-mentioned agents for decision making within their specific work areas., (Copyright © 2018 Sociedad Española de Otorrinolaringología y Cirugía de Cabeza y Cuello. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.)

The incidence and the prevalence rates of otitis media with effusion (OME) are high. However, there is evidence that only a minority of professionals follow the recommendations provided in clinical practice guidelines. For the purpose of improving diagnosis and treatment of OME in children to prevent and/or reduce its impact on children's development, the Commission for the Early Detection of Deafness (CODEPEH) has deeply reviewed the scientific literature on this field and has drafted a document of recommendations for a correct clinical reaction to of OME, including diagnosis and medical and surgical treatment methodology. Among others, medication, in particular antibiotics and corticoids, should not be prescribed and 3 months of watchful waiting should be the first adopted measure. If OME persists, an ENT doctor should assess the possibility of sugical treatment. The impact of OME in cases of children with a comorbidity is higher, so it requires immediate reaction, without watchful waiting., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier España, S.L.U. and Sociedad Española de Otorrinolaringología y Cirugía de Cabeza y Cuello. All rights reserved.)

Background: Sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) is the most common sensory impairment. Comprehensive next-generation sequencing (NGS) has become the standard for the etiological diagnosis of early-onset SNHL. However, accurate selection of target genomic regions (gene panel/exome/genome), analytical performance and variant interpretation remain relevant difficulties for its clinical implementation., Methods: We developed a novel NGS panel with 199 genes associated with non-syndromic and/or syndromic SNHL. We evaluated the analytical sensitivity and specificity of the panel on 1624 known single nucleotide variants (SNVs) and indels on a mixture of genomic DNA from 10 previously characterized lymphoblastoid cell lines, and analyzed 50 Spanish patients with presumed hereditary SNHL not caused by GJB2/GJB6, OTOF nor MT-RNR1 mutations., Results: The analytical sensitivity of the test to detect SNVs and indels on the DNA mixture from the cell lines was > 99.5%, with a specificity > 99.9%. The diagnostic yield on the SNHL patients was 42% (21/50): 47.6% (10/21) with autosomal recessive inheritance pattern (BSND, CDH23, MYO15A, STRC [n = 2], USH2A [n = 3], RDX, SLC26A4); 38.1% (8/21) autosomal dominant (ACTG1 [n = 3; 2 de novo], CHD7, GATA3 [de novo], MITF, P2RX2, SOX10), and 14.3% (3/21) X-linked (COL4A5 [de novo], POU3F4, PRPS1). 46.9% of causative variants (15/32) were not in the databases. 28.6% of genetically diagnosed cases (6/21) had previously undetected syndromes (Barakat, Usher type 2A [n = 3] and Waardenburg [n = 2]). 19% of genetic diagnoses (4/21) were attributable to large deletions/duplications (STRC deletion [n = 2]; partial CDH23 duplication; RDX exon 2 deletion)., Conclusions: In the era of precision medicine, obtaining an etiologic diagnosis of SNHL is imperative. Here, we contribute to show that, with the right methodology, NGS can be transferred to the clinical practice, boosting the yield of SNHL genetic diagnosis to 50-60% (including GJB2/GJB6 alterations), improving diagnostic/prognostic accuracy, refining genetic and reproductive counseling and revealing clinically relevant undiagnosed syndromes.

Introduction: Over the past several decades, many acoustic parameters have been studied as sensitive to and to measure dysphonia. However, current acoustic measures might not be sensitive measures of perceived voice quality. A meta-analysis which evaluated the relationship between perceived overall voice quality and several acoustic-phonetic correlates, identified measures that do not rely on the extraction of the fundamental period, such the measures derived from the cepstrum, and that can be used in sustained vowel as well as continuous speech samples. A specific and recently developed method to quantify the severity of overall dysphonia is the acoustic voice quality index (AVQI) that is a multivariate construct that combines multiple acoustic markers to yield a single number that correlates reasonably with overall vocal quality., Methods: This research is based on one pool of voice recordings collected in two sets of subjects: 60 vocally normal and 58 voice disordered participants. A sustained vowel and a sample of connected speech were recorded and analyzed to obtain the six parameters included in the AVQI using the program Praat. Statistical analysis was completed using SPSS for Windows, version 12.0., Results: Correlation between perception of overall voice quality and AVQI: A significant difference exists (t(95) = 9.5; p<.000) between normal and dysphonic voices., Conclusions: The findings of this study demonstrate the clinical feasibility of the AVQI as a measure of dysphonia severity., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier España, S.L.U. and Sociedad Española de Otorrinolaringología y Cirugía de Cabeza y Cuello. All rights reserved.)

Important progress in the fields of molecular genetics (principally) and diagnostic imaging, together with the lack of a consensus protocol for guiding the diagnostic process after confirming deafness by neonatal screening, have led to this new work document drafted by the Spanish Commission for the Early Detection of Child Deafness (Spanish acronym: CODEPEH). This 2015 Recommendations Document, which is based on the most recent scientific evidence, provides guidance to professionals to support them in making decisions regarding aetiological diagnosis. Such diagnosis should be performed without delay and without impeding early intervention. Early identification of the causes of deafness offers many advantages: it prevents unnecessary trouble for the families, reduces health system expenses caused by performing different tests, and provides prognostic information that may guide therapeutic actions., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier España, S.L.U. and Sociedad Española de Otorrinolaringología y Cirugía de Cabeza y Cuello. All rights reserved.)

The latest scientific literature considers early diagnosis of deafness as key element to define the educational prognosis and inclusion of the deaf child, as advantage can be taken in the critical period of development (0-4 years). Highly significant differences exist between those deaf persons who have been stimulated early and those who have received late or inappropriate intervention. Early identification of late-onset disorders requires special attention and knowledge of all childcare professionals. Programs and additional actions beyond neonatal screening should be designed and planned in order to ensure that every child with a significant hearing loss is detected early. For this purpose, the Committee for the Early Detection of Deafness (CODEPEH) would like to highlight the need for continuous monitoring on the hearing health of children. And, for this reason, CODEPEH drafts the recommendations included in the present document., (Copyright © 2015 Asociación Española de Pediatría. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.)

Introduction and Objectives: Conventional audiometry is the gold standard for quantifying and describing hearing loss. Alternative methods become necessary to assess subjects who are too young to respond reliably. Auditory evoked potentials constitute the most widely used method for determining hearing thresholds objectively; however, this stimulus is not frequency specific. The advent of the auditory steady-state response (ASSR) leads to more specific threshold determination. The current study describes and compares ASSR, auditory brainstem response (ABR) and conventional behavioural tone audiometry thresholds in a group of infants with various degrees of hearing loss., Methods: A comparison was made between ASSR, ABR and behavioural hearing thresholds in 35 infants detected in the neonatal hearing screening program., Results: Mean difference scores (±SD) between ABR and high frequency ABR thresholds were 11.2 dB (±13) and 10.2 dB (±11). Pearson correlations between the ASSR and audiometry thresholds were 0.80 and 0.91 (500Hz); 0.84 and 0.82 (1000Hz); 0.85 and 0.84 (2000Hz); and 0.83 and 0.82 (4000Hz)., Conclusion: The ASSR technique is a valuable extension of the clinical test battery for hearing-impaired children., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier España, S.L.U. and Sociedad Española de Otorrinolaringología y Cirugía de Cabeza y Cuello. All rights reserved.)

The latest scientific literature considers early diagnosis of deafness as the key element to define the educational and inclusive prognosis of the deaf child, because it allows taking advantage of the critical period of development (0-4 years). Highly significant differences exist between deaf people who have been stimulated early and those who have received late or improper intervention. Early identification of late-onset disorders requires special attention and knowledge on the part of every childcare professional. Programs and additional actions beyond neonatal screening should be designed and planed to ensure that every child with a significant hearing loss is detected early. For this purpose, the CODEPEH would like to highlight the need for continuous monitoring of children's auditory health. Consequently, CODEPEH has drafted the recommendations included in the present document., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier España, S.L.U. and Sociedad Española de Otorrinolaringología y Patología Cérvico-Facial. All rights reserved.)

Objective: The Consensus Auditory-Perceptual Evaluation of Voice (CAPE-V) was developed.to promote a standardised approach to evaluating and documenting auditory perceptual judgments of vocal quality. This tool was originally developed in English language and its Spanish version is still inexistent. The aim of this study was to develop a Spanish adaptation of CAPE-V and to examine the reliability and empirical validity of this Spanish version., Method: To adapt the CAPE-V protocol to the Spanish language, we proposed 6 phrases phonetically designed according to the CAPE-V requirements. Prospective instrument validation was performed. The validity of the Spanish version of the CAPE-V was examined in 4 ways: intra-rater reliability, inter-rater reliability and CAPE-V versus GRABS judgments., Results: Inter-rater reliability coefficients for the CAPE-V ranged from 0.93 for overall severity to 0.54 for intensity; intra-rater reliability ranged from 0.98 for overall severity to 0.85 for intensity. The comparison of judgments between GRABS and CAPE-V ranged from 0.86 for overall severity to 0.61 for breathiness., Conclusions: The present study supports the use of the Spanish version of CAPE-V because of its validity and reliability., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier España, S.L.U. and Sociedad Española de Otorrinolaringología y Patología Cérvico-Facial. All rights reserved.)

Introduction and Objectives: Advanced laryngeal and pharyngeal cancer, as well as methods to treat them, have a direct impact on voice function, speech communication and deglutition. Such alterations in function can influence employability and general quality of life., Patients and Methods: To characterise the vocal status of the patients treated with an organ-preservation protocol, we report the voice outcomes of 17 patients who were alive and disease free at the time of the survey, with a minimum follow-up of 6 months, after a combination of radiotherapy and chemotherapy to treat advanced cancer. Objective voice assessment by means of spectrographic analysis, the GRBAS perceptual analysis system and the Voice Handicap Index was the methodology followed, which we suggest could be used in future large-scale investigations., Results: Normal or slightly dysphonic voices were observed in 5 patients (29.4%) and moderate/severe in 12 (70.6%). Spectrographically, the 17 samples were classified as normal in 4 cases (23.4%), Grade I in 3 cases (17.6%), Grade II in 3 (17.6%), Grade III in 4 (23.5%) and Grade IV in 2 (11.7%). The Voice Handicap Index questionnaire, which was completed by the patients themselves, gave normal results in all the patients except for 4 (23.5%)., Conclusions: The voice acoustic analysis of this series shows that the damage related to the organ-preservation protocol displays a relatively wide range of voice function outcomes. To characterise the vocal status of these patients reliably, we propose using homogeneous instruments (spectrography, GRBAS scale, Maximum Phonation Time and Voice Handicap Index) in future meta-analyses., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier España, S.L.U. y Sociedad Española de Otorrinolaringología y Patología Cérvico-Facial. All rights reserved.)

Introduction and Objectives: The European Laryngological Society (ELS) basic protocol for functional assessment of voice pathology includes 5 different approaches: perception, videostroboscopy, acoustics, aerodynamics and subjective rating by the patient. In this study we focused on acoustic voice analysis. The purpose of the present study was to correlate the results obtained by the commercial software Dr. Speech and the free software Praat in 2 fields: 1. Narrow-band spectrogram (the presence of noise according to Yanagihara, and the presence of subharmonics) (semi-quantitative). 2. Voice acoustic parameters (jitter, shimmer, harmonics-to-noise ratio, fundamental frequency) (quantitative)., Material and Methods: We studied a total of 99 voice samples from individuals with Reinke's oedema diagnosed using videostroboscopy. One independent observer used Dr. Speech 3.0 and a second one used the Praat program (Phonetic Sciences, University of Amsterdam). The spectrographic analysis consisted of obtaining a narrow-band spectrogram from the previous digitalised voice samples by the 2 independent observers. They then determined the presence of noise in the spectrogram, using the Yanagihara grades, as well as the presence of subharmonics. As a final result, the acoustic parameters of jitter, shimmer, harmonics-to-noise ratio and fundamental frequency were obtained from the 2 acoustic analysis programs., Results: The results indicated that the sound spectrogram and the numerical values obtained for shimmer and jitter were similar for both computer programs, even though types 1, 2 and 3 voice samples were analysed., Conclusions: The Praat and Dr. Speech programs provide similar results in the acoustic analysis of pathological voices., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier España, S.L. All rights reserved.)

In the last decade, tremendous progress has been made very rapidly in the development of Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) systems as a major public health initiative. The percentage of infants screened annually in Spain has increased significantly since the EHDI systems have expanded to all autonomic regions. Historically, high risk indicators have been used for the identification of infants who should receive audiological evaluation but who live in geographic locations where universal hearing screening is not yet available, to help identify infants who pass neonatal screening but are at risk of developing delayed-onset hearing loss and to identify infants who may have passed neonatal screening but have mild forms of permanent hearing loss. In this review, the standard risk factors for hearing loss are analysed and the risk factors known to be associated with late onset or progressive hearing loss are identified. The recommendation for infants with a risk factor that may be considered as low risk is to perform at least one audiology assessment by 24-30 months. In contrast, for an infant with risk factors known to be associated with late onset or progressive hearing loss (such as cytomegalovirus infection or family history), early and more frequent assessment is appropriate. All infants should have an objective standardised screening of global development with a validated assessment tool at 9, 18 and 24-30 months of age or at any time if the health care professional or the family is concerned., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier España, S.L. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Perceptual evaluation of voice quality remains a key standard for judgment of vocal impairment. The GRABS method has become a commonly-used scale for rating severity of dysphonia, but it has no published, standardised protocol to follow. Training is important for reaching good interrater agreement for its parameters; however, the references most often cited for the GRABS provide no guidelines for clinical administration, speech material or rating calibration. This study investigated the effect of anchors (standard reference voices) and visible speech (narrow band spectrogram) in training non-expert professionals in the GRABS method., Material & Methods: Four inexperienced listeners evaluated 107 recorded pathological voices using the GRABS scale in 2 separate sessions; at first, without a visible spectrogram and then, 6 months later, with anchors and a narrow band spectrogram as additional information., Results: The results show that anchors and visible speech helped to improve the reliability of G, B, A and S parameters. Interrater agreement according to k statistics was significantly stronger with the addition of spectrographic information for rating breathiness and strain., Discussion: This study found that non-expert listeners showed significant improvement after training with external anchors (standard reference voices) and a narrow band spectrogram., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier España, S.L. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Peritonsillar infection is the most frequent complication of acute tonsillitis. Peritonsillar infections are collections of purulent material, usually located between the tonsillar capsule and the superior constrictor of the pharynx. Peritonsillar infection can be divided into abscess and cellulitis., Material and Methods: We prospectively analysed the clinical data from 100 patients with peritonsillar infection from 2008 to 2010. The diagnosis of abscess or peritonsillar cellulitis was primarily based on obtaining pus through fine-needle aspiration., Results: Seventy-seven per cent of patients had no history of recurrent tonsillitis and 55% were receiving antibiotic treatment. Sixty-two cases were peritonsillar abscess and the rest were cellulitis. Trismus, uvular deviation and anterior pillar bulging were statistically associated with peritonsillar abscess (P<.005). All patients were admitted to hospital and treated with puncture-drainage, intravenous antibiotics (amoxicillin/clavulanate in 83% of cases) and a single dose of steroids. All patients were discharged on oral antibiotic therapy. The mean length of hospital stay was 3 days and the recurrence rate was 5%., Conclusions: Due to the absence of clinical practice guidelines, there are different therapeutic protocols. According to our experience, puncture-aspiration and administration of intravenous antibiotics is a safe, effective way to treat these patients. To determine the efficacy and safety of outpatient management, controlled studies would be needed., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier España, S.L. All rights reserved.)

The neuroanatomy of voice and speech is complex. An intricate neural network is responsible for ensuring the main functions of the larynx: airway protection, cough and Valsalva production, and providing voice. Coordination of these roles is very susceptible to disruption by neurological disorders. Neurological disorders that affect laryngeal function include Parkinson's disease, stroke, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, multiple sclerosis, dystonia and essential tremor. A thorough neurological evaluation should be routine for any patient presenting with voice complaints suggestive of neurogenic cause. Endoscopic visualisation of the larynx using a dynamic voice assessment with a flexible laryngoscope is a crucial part of the evaluation and ancillary tests are sometimes performed. Otolaryngologic evaluation is important in the diagnosis and treatment of neurological disorders that affect laryngeal function., (Copyright © 2010 Elsevier España, S.L. All rights reserved.)

Unlabelled: In the questionnaires that currently exist in Spanish to assess the impact on quality of life of voice pathology, there are no questions that refer specifically to the singing voice. We present the results of the validation of the Singing Voice Handicap Index (SVHI) in Spanish., Materials and Methods: The SVHI was translated into Spanish from the validated version in English. The questionnaire was completed by 29 dysphonic singers and 81 healthy singers., Results: There was good test-retest reliability (r=0.63, p=0.000). Regarding the item-total correlation, it was found that all samples had high correlations on individual items. Significant correlations were found between the severity of the score of the voice self-rated by the singer and the total scores of the SVHI (r=0.52, p=0.000). There were significant differences between the group of singers with dysphonia and the control group in the SVHI scores (ANOVA, F=10.9, p <0.002)., Conclusions: The Spanish version of the translated SVHI questionnaire is a validated tool with proper internal consistency and reliability. The average score of the SVHI singers in a healthy population is 20% of the maximum possible questionnaire score, well above the average score in a healthy population for the spoken voice with the 30-item specific VHI., (Copyright 2010 Elsevier España, S.L. All rights reserved.)

Newborn hearing screening is currently performed routinely in many regional health-care systems in Spain. Despite the remarkable expansion in newborn hearing screening since 2000, its feasibility and the benefits of early identification and intervention, many major challenges still remain. In this article, the Committee for the Early Detection of Hearing Loss (Comisión para la Detección Precoz de la Hipoacusia, CODEPEH) updates the recommendations that are considered important for the future development of early hearing detection and intervention (EDHI) systems in the following points: 1. Screening protocols: Separate protocols are recommended for NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Units) and well-infant nurseries. 2. Diagnostic audiology evaluation. Professionals with skills and expertise in evaluating newborn and young infants should provide diagnosis, selection and fitting of amplification devices. 3. Medical evaluation. Risk factors for congenital and acquired hearing loss have been combined in a single list rather than grouped by time of onset. A stepwise diagnostic paradigm is diagnostically more efficient and cost-effective than a simultaneous testing approach. 4. Early intervention and surveillance. All individuals providing services to infants with hearing loss should have specialized training and expertise in the development of audition, speech and language. Regular surveillance should be performed on developmental milestones, auditory skills, parental concerns, and middle ear status. 5. Quality control. Data management as part of an integrated system is important to monitor and improve the quality of EDHI services., (2009 Elsevier España, S.L. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Although measuring parent satisfaction has been recommended as one of the important outcome measures in assessing the effectiveness of neonatal hearing screening programs, there are few published studies investigating this issue., Objectives: To validate the Spanish version of the Parent Satisfaction Questionnaire with Neonatal Hearing Screening Program (PSQ-NHSP)., Methods: 112 parents whose children had received hearing screening participated in this study., Results: High levels of satisfaction were reported with more than 90% of parents satisfied with all aspects of the program. The psychometric properties of the Spanish version of the PSQ-NHSP were analyzed and demonstrated good internal consistency (alpha=0.75). Construct validity was indicated by a significant positive relationship between overall satisfaction and the three specific dimensions in the questionnaire., Discussion: The development of a valid and reliable parent satisfaction questionnaire is important for improving hearing screening programs.

We analyzed the functional outcome and self-evaluation of the voice of patients with T1 glottic carcinoma treated with endoscopic laser surgery and radiotherapy. We performed an objective voice evaluation, as well as a physical, emotional and functional well being assessment of 19 patients treated with laser surgery and 18 patients treated with radiotherapy. Voice quality is affected both by surgery and radiotherapy. Voice parameters only show differences in the maximum phonation time between both treatments. Results in the Voice Handicap Index show that radiotherapy has less effect on patient voice quality perception. There is a reduced impact on the patient's perception of voice quality after radiotherapy, despite there being no significant differences in vocal quality between radiotherapy and laser cordectomy.

Introduction: Hyperbilirubinaemia is a neonatal risk factor that has been proved to be associated with sensorineural hearing loss. A high concentration of unconjugated bilirubin place newborn children at risk of suffering toxic effects, including hypoacusia., Objectives: Review of the newborn screening results with a diagnosis of pathological hyperbilirubinaemia as part of a hearing-loss early detection protocol in the general population based on otoemissions and evoked potentials., Material and Method: Retrospective study of 21 590 newborn children screened between 2002 and 2006. The selection criteria for defining pathological hyperbilirubinaemia were bilirubin concentrations in excess of 14 mg/dL in pre-term infants and 20 mg/dL in full-term babies. The Universal Neonatal Hearing Screening Programme is a two-phase protocol in which all children are initially subjected to a transient otoacoustic emissions test (TOAE). Children presenting risk factors associated with auditory neuropathy were always given brainstem auditory evoked potentials (BAEP)., Results: The patients identified as having severe hyperbilirubinaemia in the neonatal period numbered 109 (0.5 %) and 96 of these (88.07 %) passed the otoacoustic emissions test at the first attempt and 13 (11.93 %) did not; 11 of the 13 children in whom the otoacoustic emissions test was repeated passed it successfully. The 2 children who failed to pass the otoacoustic emissions test has normal BAEP results; 3 (2.75 %) of the newborn infants who passed the TOAE test did not pass the BAEP., Discussion: Hyperbilirubinaemia values previously considered safe may harm the hearing system and give rise to isolated problems in auditory processing without being associated with other signs of classical kernicterus. Our results show that hyperbilirubinaemia-related auditory neuropathy reveals changes over time in the audiometric outcomes.

Introduction: The Voice Handicap Index has been shown to be a valid instrument for assessing self-perceived handicap associated with dysphonia., Objectives: To test the psychometric properties of the Spanish version of the VHI-30 (Voice Handicap Index) and its shortened version VHI-10., Subjects and Method: The original VHI-30 was translated into Spanish and was completed by 232 dysphonic patients and 38 non-dysphonic individuals. Prospective instrument validation was performed., Results: Results showed high test-retest reliability, and high item-total correlation for both Spanish VHI-30 and VHI-10. Internal consistency demonstrated a Cronbach's alpha of 0.93 and 0.86, respectively, and a significant correlation was found between the VHI scores and the patients' self-rated dysphonic severity., Conclusions: The present study supports the use of Spanish versions of VHI-30 and VHI-10 because of their validity and reliability.

Sulcus vocalis, vergetures, mucosal bridges, and cysts as intracordal lesions constitute a group of great diagnostic difficulty. We present 6 patients in whom microlaryngoscopy was the final diagnostic step in the evaluation of a lesion not recognized in the initial evaluation. The criteria selected were as follows: Severe GRABS. Stroboscopic parameters: glottal chink without mass lesion, asymmetry of amplitude, and irregularity of vibration, or when discrepancy between examination and quality of the voice exists. Acoustic and aerodynamic measures that demonstrate severe dysphonia. High scores on the Voice Handicap Index. We recommend carrying out a diagnostic microlaryngoscopy examination where the cause of dysphonia is unclear.

Introduction: The voice quality resulting from the radiotherapeutic treatment is a relevant factor to take into consideration at the time of evaluating the results. In this study the results of an objective assessment in relation to the vocal function and the patients' voice self-evaluation are presented., Materials and Methods: 18 glottic tumour patients, at initial stage, treated with radiotherapy, were studied. There were made an objective analysis on the voice and a study on the perceived quality both by the examiners and the patients., Results: Normal voices were observed in the 11%, slight dysphonias in 44.4%, moderate dysphonias in 27.8% and severe dysphonias in 16.7% of the cases. Spectrographically, the 18 samples were classified as Grade I one case (5.5%), Grade II 7 (38.8%), Grade III 5 (27.7%) and Grade IV 5 (27.7%). The questionnaire Voice Handicap Index which was completed by the patients themselves, gave out results values very close to normality., Conclusions: the patients voice acoustic analysis of the series shows the damage thereof after the radiotherapeutic treatment is minimum as well as the handicap feeling of the T1 laryngeal carcinoma patients treated with radiotherapy.

Objective: To assess factors that may be predictive of patient perception of dysphonia severity, as quantified by the Voice Handicap Index (VHI) score., Material and Methods: A prospective study is carried out in 81 voice samples from patients diagnosed with benign vocal fold lesions. Variables assessed for predictive value to VHI score are maximum fonation time, narrow band spectrogram, jitter, shimmer, HNR, NNE, F0 and the auditory perceptual evaluation of severity of dysphonia GRABS., Results: HNR, F0 and B and S parameters of GRABS were predictors of total VHI score, functional and emotional subscales. No parameter was found to predict the physical subscale., Conclusions: VHI score is correlated with the perceived breathy voice and its acoustic attributes, such as signal-to-noise ratio. In other studies, patient perception of dysphonia is independent of many factors commonly assessed during the evaluation of voice disorders. It is reasonable to assume that the severity of glottic gap caused by benign vocal folds lesions is related to a low signal-to-noise ratio and the breathy phonation as its perceptual correlate. The physical subscale appears to be an independent element in the assessment of the patient perception of dysphonia.