Vocal nodules are among the most common laryngopathies that cause vocal functional disorders. The voice production mechanism is complex and demand interaction of different systems of the human body. The physiological role of the vocal folds as the glottic sound source is evident, however, there is no consensus regarding the vestibular folds' participation/influence in phonation. AIM: To verify if there is difference in the bidimensional configuration of the vestibular folds between two distinct groups of women, one with the diagnosis of vocal nodules and the other without vocal complaints and vocal fold lesions. STUDY DESIGN: clinical with transversal cohort. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Ninety-six laryngeal images were evaluated, 48 from individuals without vocal complaints and 48 from patients with the diagnosis of vocal nodules. Angles were obtained and bilaterally measured in single frames of the vestibular folds during sustained phonation and those structures were morphologically classified as concave, linear or convex. RESULTS: Among the 96 vestibular folds evaluated in each group, there was predominance of the concave form, followed by the linear and the convex ones. In the control group, there was a single convex vestibular fold, 27 were linear and 68 were concave folds. In the group of vocal nodules, 8 were convex, 15 were linear and 73 were concave folds. However, the differences among groups were not statistically significant as well as those among the angles, whose average measures were proven quite similar. CONCLUSION: In the female gender, the vestibular folds presented similar behavior regarding the morphology in both patients with vocal nodules and women without vocal complaints.
vocal nodule; vestibular folds; laryx; voice
