Playing a brass instrument after total laryngectomy: a case report.

Full Abstract

BACKGROUND: A brass instrument is a musical instrument in which the tone is produced by vibration of the lips as the player blows into a tubular resonator. The case of a professional brass player who continued his activity after total laryngectomy, with insertion of a voice prosthesis in a tracheoesophageal shunt, is reported. METHODS: A videoendoscopic and videofluoroscopic study of the patient during brass playing was conducted. RESULTS: A nonvibrating, open neoglottis during brass playing was found on videoendoscopy. Videofluorography revealed an enlarged hypopharynx, a thick neoglottis while playing at lower tone; at higher pitch the tongue base was retracted, the neoglottis was thin and stretched, and the subneoglottic area was extremely enlarged. CONCLUSION: The case reported shows that the insertion of a voice prosthesis in a tracheoesophageal shunt seems to create a regulating airflow system sufficiently advanced to play a brass instrument, further reducing the disability of laryngeal speakers. Copyright 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Author information

Author/s: Cavalot, Andrea Luigi (AL); Schindler, Antonio (A); Juliani, Elsa (E); Schindler, Oskar (O); Cortesina, Giorgio (G);

Affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy.

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Case Reports; Journal Article

Journal: Head & neck (Head Neck), published in United States. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2009-Aug; vol 31 (issue 8) : pp 1102-6

Dates: Created 2009/07/16; Completed 2009/10/08;

PMID: 19189337, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 10/8/2009, IMS Date: )

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