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Electromyography of the posterior cricoarytenoid muscles: a consensus guideline

  • Review Article
  • Published:
European Archives of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

Since the introduction of transcutaneous-transcricoidal needle approaches, electromyography (EMG) of the posterior cricoarytenoid muscle (PCA) became easier to perform and teach. Among the Neurolaryngology working group of the European Laryngological Society, several centers have adopted PCA EMG as part of their routine EMG workup in vocal fold immobility collectively gathering long-term experience. The purpose is to give an update and an extension to already existing guidelines on laryngeal EMG with specific regard to PCA EMG.

Methods

Consensus of all co-authors is based on continuous exchange of ideas and on joint laryngeal EMG workshop experiences over at least 7 years. A Delphi method of consensus development was used, i.e., the manuscript was circulated among the co-authors until full agreement was achieved.

Results

Step-by-step instructions on how to perform and interpret PCA EMG are provided.

Conclusions

Further research should include the establishment of normal values for PCA and thyroarytenoid muscle (TA) EMG as well as studies on the nature of some unusual activation pattern commonly seen in chronically lesioned PCA.

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Availability of data and material

Any clinical data related to the authors are accessible via the authors.

Code availability

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Funding

MED-EL financially supported this work as part of the preclinical research performed by SRH Wald-Klinikum on the laryngeal pacing project. The scientific exchange of the authors/co-authors was financially supported by MED-EL educational grants.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Otorhinolaryngology/Plastic Surgery, SRH Wald-Klinikum Gera, Straße des Friedens 122, 07548, Gera, Germany

    Gerhard Foerster, Kathleen Klinge & Andreas H. Mueller

  2. Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary

    Adam Bach

  3. Department of Otolaryngology, Hospital Puerta de Hierro Majadahonda, Madrid, Spain

    Carmen Gorriz

  4. Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany

    Orlando Guntinas-Lichius

  5. Division of Phoniatrics, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria

    Matthias Leonhard & Berit Schneider-Stickler

  6. Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria

    Claus Pototschnig

  7. Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Center for Rare Diseases, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany

    Gerd Fabian Volk

Authors
  1. Gerhard Foerster
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  2. Adam Bach
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  3. Carmen Gorriz
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  4. Orlando Guntinas-Lichius
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  5. Kathleen Klinge
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  6. Matthias Leonhard
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  7. Claus Pototschnig
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  8. Berit Schneider-Stickler
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  9. Gerd Fabian Volk
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  10. Andreas H. Mueller
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Contributions

All the authors contributed to the review conception and design in an iterating consensus process. The first draft of the manuscript was written by GF and AHM, and all the authors (listed in alphabetical order) commented on previous versions of the manuscript. All the authors read and approved the final manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Gerhard Foerster.

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Conflict of interest

We declare no conflicts of interest.

Ethics approval

An unpublished case series of routine clinical cases from Gera included in this review was analyzed with ethics committee approval for a clinical registry (Thuringia Medical Association 2017REG002) The procedures used in this case series adhere to the tenets of the Declaration of Helsinki.

Consent to participate

Ethics committee approval covered retrospective data analysis and publication of routine clinical data, since 2017 informed consent of all patients in Gera was obtained.

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See above.

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Foerster, G., Bach, A., Gorriz, C. et al. Electromyography of the posterior cricoarytenoid muscles: a consensus guideline. Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol 279, 3785–3793 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00405-022-07357-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00405-022-07357-z

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