Importance of Hyaluronic Acid in Vocal Fold Lesions

Abstract

Objective: We aimed to examine the inflence of hyaluronic acid (HA) and basement membrane(BM) thickness alterations on biochemical properties of vocal fold lesions including vocal fold polyps, sulcus vocalis lesions, vocal fold cysts, and Reinke’s edema.Methods: Archival material of 56 laryngoscopic vocal fold biopsies from 49 patients reported between July 1, 2005 and February 27, 2007 were retrospectively evaluated. Hematoxylin-eosin, alcianblue pH 2.5, and Periodic acid–Schiff (PAS) stainings were histochemically performed.Results: We detected that the HA component in the extracellular matrix and BM thickness had increased in vocal fold polyps, sulcus vocalis lesions, vocal fold cysts, and Reinke’s edema comparedwith those in the control group.Conclusion: We believe that HA plays an important role in determining the biochemical propertiesof vocal fold lesions including vocal fold polyps, sulcus vocalis lesions, vocal fold cysts, and Reinke’sedema. Especially the increase in the HA component in all these lesions indicates that it plays arole in reparative processes.Keywords: Human vocal fold, larynx, extracellular matrix, hyaluronic aci