Abstract

OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS
Aged vocal folds are characterized by atrophy of the mucosa, which causes mucosal wave deficiency and glottal insufficiency. This clinical trial examined the regenerative effects and safety considerations of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) on restoration of aged vocal folds.
STUDY DESIGN
Institutional review board-approved human clinical trial.
METHODS
Ten patients (6 men and 4 women; mean age, 70.1 years) were recruited in the trial. Ten micrograms of bFGF was injected into each treated vocal fold. Injection was performed unilaterally or bilaterally according to each patient's need and repeated up to seven times if necessary. Patient follow-up continued for at least 6 months. The effectiveness of the treatment was assessed by stroboscopic, acoustic, and aerodynamic measurements.
RESULTS
All patients showed improvement of voice. Significant improvements in maximum phonation time, mean flow rate, jitter, shimmer, and noise-to-harmonic ratio lasted for at least 1 year. No allergic or long-term adverse effects were noted.
CONCLUSIONS
This clinical trial suggests that bFGF may be effective and safe as a regenerative agent for aged vocal folds.

Links

Publisher Full Text

Authors

Hirano S, Tateya I, Kishimoto Y, Kanemaru S, Ito J

Institution

Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan. hirano@ent.kuhp.kyoto-u.ac.jp

Source

The Laryngoscope 122:2 2012 Feb pg 327-31

MeSH

Aged
Aging
Female
Fibroblast Growth Factor 2
Follow-Up Studies
Guided Tissue Regeneration
Humans
Injections
Male
Middle Aged
Patient Satisfaction
Recovery of Function
Stroboscopy
Treatment Outcome
Vocal Cords
Voice Disorders
Voice Quality

Pub Type(s)

Clinical Trial
Comparative Study
Journal Article
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

Language

eng

PubMed ID

22252956