Table 1 Differential diagnosis of laryngeal movement disorders [17, 24]
VCD | Â |
 Psychogenic | Somatoform disorder, conversion disorder, abuse, anxiety disorder, depression, Munchausen syndrome, malingering |
 Exercise | Exercise |
 Irritant | Extrinsic (chemical irritants, olfactory stimuli) |
Intrinsic (GERD, laryngopharyngeal reflux rhinitis/post nasal drip, sinusitis) | |
Laryngospasm | Intubation, airway manipulation, IgE mediated, nocturnal aspiration |
Vocal cord paresis/paralysis | Prolonged intubation, recurrent laryngeal or vagus nerve damage during chest or thyroid surgery, idiopathic |
Infectious | Epiglottis, bronchiolitis, laryngotracheobronchitis (croup), laryngitis, pharyngeal abscess, diphtheria, pertussis, laryngeal papillomatosis |
Rheumatologic | Rheumatoid cricoarytenoid arthritis, relapsing polychondritis, laryngeal sarcoidosis |
Neoplastic | Head and neck malignancy, cystic hygroma, hemangioma, rhabdomyosarcoma, teratoma, lymphoma, papilloma |
Endocrine | Thyroid goiter |
Traumatic | Laryngeal injury or fracture, thermal injury, upper airway hemorrhage, caustic ingestion |
Allergic | Angioedema, anaphylaxis, exercised induced anaphylaxis |
Neurologic | Brainstem stem compression, upper motor neuron injury, lower motor neuron injury, tic disorders, multiple sclerosis, postpolio syndrome, multiple system atrophy, myasthenia gravis, Parkinson disease, respiratory spasmodic dysphonia, traction on the recurrent laryngeal nerve, adductor laryngeal breathing dystonia |
Pulmonary | Asthma, exercise induced bronchoconstriction, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, foreign body aspiration, hyperventilation syndrome, pulmonary embolus |
Congenital | Laryngomalacia, laryngeal cleft, intrathoracic vascular ring, subglottic stenosis, laryngeal web |
Occupational | Inhalation injury |