Bipolar Hooked-Wire Electromyographic Technique in the Evaluation of Pediatric Vocal Cord Paralysis

Abstract

Laryngeal electromyography is a valuable test to assess vocal cord paralysis in adults. This technique can be applied and adapted to the pediatric patient. In the operating room under general anesthesia and endoscopic guidance, bipolar hooked-wire electrodes are passed percutaneously through the anterior neck skin into both thyroarytenoid muscles. Electromyographic signals are evaluated during light anesthesia and on awakening. A critical appraisal of this technique is presented, including an analysis of sources of electrical interference in the operating room.