Laryngeal Manifestations of Connective Tissue Diseases

Connective tissue diseases represent a rather heterogeneous spectrum of overlapping pathologies, which have as a common feature the involvement of multiple organ systems. Though generally uncommon, they represent lifelong conditions, which are often coupled with various immunologic disorders, thus significantly affecting the overall health and quality of life of the affected individual. The classic connective tissue disorders include rheumatoid arthritis ,Juvenile idiopathic arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus , scleroderma, Sjogren's syndrome, and the mixed connective tissue disease several studies have reported that up to fifty percent of connective tissue diseases' patients are having laryngeal involvement as the sole manifestation of this disease In acute phases, patients may complain of burning, foreign body sensation in the throat, and difficulty in swallowing. In chronic cases the cricoarytenoid joint is usually affected with resultant fixation. The laryngoscopic findings include mucosal edema, myositis of the intrinsic laryngeal muscles, hyperemia, inflammation and swelling of the arytenoids, interarytenoid mucosa, aryepiglottic folds and epiglottis, and impaired mobility or fixation of the cricoarytenoid joint. In the early stage of the disease, the laryngeal examination may be normal