Vascular lesions are enlarged blood vessels on the vocal folds formed by vocally traumatic behaviour such as excessive talking, screaming, coughing, or incorrect speaking/singing technique. If left untreated, vascular lesions can haemorrhage (blood leakage), or cause a mass build up of tissue and/or scarring. This prevents normal vocal fold closure and vocal fold vibration during voicing which can lead to symptoms such as hoarseness, pitch and volume restrictions as well as vocal fatigue. A sudden onset of voice symptoms is often experienced.
Treatment
Management options include medical treatment, surgery and/or voice therapy. Voice therapy is a common first line treatment along with medical treatment of any concomitant conditions such as reflux. For more information on voice therapy please visit our voice therapy page. If you are looking for voice therapy treatment of a vascular lesion please contact us to book an appointment with our Speech Pathologist.
