Laryngitis

Updated April 24, 2024

What's new

Added 2021 ACG, 2018 AAO-HNSF, 2018 IDSA, 2018 AAFP, and 2016 FMSD/FPS guidelines for the diagnosis and management of laryngitis.

Guidelines

Key sources

The following summarized guidelines for the evaluation and management of laryngitis are prepared by our editorial team based on guidelines from the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA 2023,2018,2015), the American College of Gastroenterology (ACG 2022), the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP 2018,2012), the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery Foundation (AAO-HNSF 2018), the European Society for Paediatric...

Diagnostic investigations

Clinical assessment

As per AAO-HNSF 2018 guidelines:

Identify dysphonia in patients with altered voice quality, pitch, loudness, or vocal effort impairing communication or reducing the QoL.

Elicit medical history and perform a physical examination to assess for underlying causes of dysphonia and factors modifying management,

as well as to identify factors requiring expedited laryngeal evaluation including but not limited to:

recent surgical procedures involving the head, neck, or chest

recent endotracheal intubation

presence of concomitant neck mass

respiratory distress or stridor

history of tobacco abuse

professional voice use

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Viral testing (influenza, low season)
Viral testing (influenza, flu season)
Viral testing (COVID-19)
Diagnostic imaging

Diagnostic procedures

Laryngoscopy: as per AAO-HNSF 2018 guidelines, Consider performing diagnostic laryngoscopy at any time in patients with dysphonia.

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Medical management

Nebulized epinephrine: as per FMSD/FPS 2016 guidelines, Administer nebulized racemic epinephrine for symptom relief in pediatric patients with laryngitis.

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Corticosteroids
Antibiotics

Nonpharmacologic interventions

Mist therapy: as per FMSD/FPS 2016 guidelines, Do not offer mist therapy to relieve the symptoms of laryngitis.

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Voice therapy

Therapeutic procedures

Botulinum toxin injections: as per AAO-HNSF 2018 guidelines, Offer botulinum toxin injections, or refer to a clinician who can administer botulinum toxin injections, for the treatment of dysphonia caused by spasmodic dysphonia or other types of laryngeal dystonia.

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Surgical interventions

Indications for surgery: as per AAO-HNSF 2018 guidelines, Offer surgery as a therapeutic option in patients with dysphonia with conditions amenable to surgical intervention, such as suspected malignancy, symptomatic benign vocal fold lesions not responding to conservative management, or glottic insufficiency.

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Specific circumstances

Patients with reflux laryngitis, evaluation: as per ACG 2022 guidelines, Obtain evaluation for non-GERD causes in patients with possible extraesophageal manifestations before ascribing symptoms to GERD.

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Patients with reflux laryngitis (management)
Patients with reflux laryngitis (pediatric patients)
Patients with acute laryngotracheitis (diagnosis)
Patients with acute laryngotracheitis (severity assessment)
Patients with acute laryngotracheitis (setting of care)
Patients with acute laryngotracheitis (humidified air)
Patients with acute laryngotracheitis (oxygen supplementation)
Patients with acute laryngotracheitis (corticosteroids)
Patients with acute laryngotracheitis (nebulized epinephrine)

Patient education

General counseling: as per AAO-HNSF 2018 guidelines, Counsel patients with dysphonia on control/preventive measures.

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Follow-up and surveillance

Serial clinical assessment: as per AAO-HNSF 2018 guidelines, Document resolution, improvement, or worsening symptoms of dysphonia or change in the QoL in patients with dysphonia after treatment or observation.

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