Author(s)
Stacey Menton, MM, MA, CCC-SLP
DeLisa Fairweather, PhD
Katelyn Bruno, PhD
Chandler Thompson, DMA, MS, CCC-SLP
Dacre Knight, MD
Amy Rutt, DO
Zhuo LI, MS
Estephania Candelo Lopez, MD
Affiliation(s)
Mayo Clinic - Florida; Univ. of Florida;
Abstract:
Introduction: This study aimed to quantify the prevalence of voice, upper airway, and swallowing complaints within the population of patients presenting to the Mayo Clinic Jacksonville Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS) Clinic for assessment of hypermobility.
Methods: 363 patients from the EDS Clinic met inclusion criteria for this study by completing questionnaires related to voice, upper airway, and swallowing between July 7, 2020 and July 13, 2022. Demographic data, voice related questions and hypermobility diagnosis information were analyzed retrospectively. Of these patients 289 were diagnosed with hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (hEDS) or Hypermobility Spectrum Disorder (HSD) based on the 2017 International Classification, and the remaining 74 patients did not meet the diagnostic criteria for either diagnosis and served as controls.
Results: There were no statistically significant differences between the hEDS and HSD groups regarding VHI-10 scores, voice, upper airway, and swallow complaints. Patients in the combined hEDS and HSD group were found to have more inducible laryngeal obstruction (ILO) symptoms compared to controls (p=0.031). For hEDS/HSD patients combined, 22.5% reported hoarseness, 33.9% of this group reported symptoms of dysphagia, and 27.0% reported symptoms of ILO. There was an increased prevalence of voice, upper airway, and dysphagia symptoms in patients diagnosed with hEDS/HSD compared to previously-reported prevalence data in the general population.
Conclusions: A significant proportion of patients diagnosed with hypermobility due to hEDS and HSD were found to have voice, upper airway, and dysphagia symptoms. These rates are higher than previously reported prevalence data in the general population.