Abstract: Objective To evaluate the vocal cord movement after stroke with laryngeal ultrasound. Methods From January, 2017 to March, 2019, 41 patients with stroke following hoarseness were examined with laryngeal ultrasound and direct laryngoscope. The movement was graded from I to III, in which grades II and III were considered as vocal cord paresis or palsy. The results under ultrasound were compared to laryngoscope (gold standard). Results For 82 sides vocal cords in 41 patients, 78 sides were consistent grading between laryngeal ultrasound and laryngoscopy, and the coincidence rate was 95.1%. The difference was mainly found in patients with bilateral vocal cord paralysis, two cases in total. Under ultrasound, one case was graded III (right) and I (left), and the other was graded II (right) and III (left); while under laryngoscopy, they were graded as III (right) and II (left), and III (right) and II (left), respectively. The specificity of ultrasound was 97.1%, and sensitivity was 85.7%, respectively.Kappa = 0.911, P < 0.001. Conclusion Laryngeal ultrasound can be used for the diagnosis and evaluation of vocal cord movement after stroke.

Key words: stroke, vocal cord paralysis, laryngeal ultrasound