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Published in final edited form as:

Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol. 2017 May ; 126(5): 388–395. doi:10.1177/0003489417694911.

Factors Associated With Infectious Laryngitis: A Retrospective

Review of 15 Cases
Carissa M. Thomas, MD, PhD1, Marie E. Jetté, PhD1, and Matthew S. Clary, MD1
1Department of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery, University of Colorado School of
Medicine, Aurora, CO, USA
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Abstract
Objectives—To identify the culturable microbes associated with infectious laryngitis and outline
effective treatment strategies.

Methods—This is a retrospective chart review of adult patients with persistent dysphonia plus
evidence of laryngeal inflammation who underwent biopsy for culture at a tertiary care medical
center. Demographic factors, symptoms as reported on validated patient assessment tools, past
medical history, social history, culture results, and treatment duration and response were reviewed.

Results—Fifteen patients with infectious laryngitis were included in this study. Culture results
demonstrated Methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA), Methicillin-resistant
Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Serratia marcescens, and “normal
respiratory flora.” In most patients, multiple courses of prolonged antibiotics were needed to treat
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MSSA or MRSA. Infections associated with other microbes resolved with a single course of
antibiotics.

Conclusions—In this population, infectious laryngitis is defined as colonization with bacteria

not found in the previously characterized laryngeal microbiome of benign vocal fold lesions. In
suspected cases of infectious laryngitis, culture is recommended, by biopsy if needed. For MSSA-
and MRSA-associated laryngitis, an extended course of antibiotics may be necessary for symptom
improvement and resolution of laryngeal inflammation. However, the optimal treatment regimen
has yet to be defined and will require larger, prospective studies.

Keywords
laryngitis; bacteria; Staphylococcus aureus; inflammation; chronic laryngitis; infectious laryngitis
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Reprints and permissions: sagepub.com/journalsPermissions.nav

Corresponding Author: Matthew S. Clary, Department of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery, University of Colorado School of
Medicine, 12631 E 17th Avenue, B-205, Aurora, CO 80045, USA. [email protected].
Presented at the American Broncho-Esophagological Association 96th Annual Meeting held in conjunction with the Combined
Otolaryngology Spring Meetings, Chicago, Illinois, USA, May 18–19, 2016.
Declaration of Conflicting Interests
The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.
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Introduction
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Laryngitis is inflammation of the larynx caused by various etiologies and can be classified as
acute or chronic based on duration of symptoms. Laryngitis is chronic if symptoms persist
for 3 weeks or greater.1 Symptoms of chronic laryngitis include dysphonia, globus sensation,
odynophagia, and excessive throat clearing.2,3 Etiologies for chronic laryngitis include
laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR), irritants (cigarette smoke or inhaled medications), rhinitis
(allergic or other), mechanical irritation from voice misuse/overuse, and infectious,
including bacterial laryngitis and laryngeal candidiasis.3,4 Historically, routine use of
antibiotics to treat chronic laryngitis has not been recommended,1,5 and chronic infectious
laryngitis secondary to bacterial infection remains a poorly understood disease process.
Causative organisms have not been fully identified, and optimal treatment regimens are
unknown. A recent study demonstrated that otolaryngologists rarely treat chronic laryngitis
with antibiotics as the first-line therapy, preferring to start with a proton pump inhibitor
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(PPI) treating LPR as the presumed etiology.2

As demonstrated by studies of the human microbiome, the larynx is chronically colonized

by bacteria.6,7 Therefore, chronic laryngitis from a bacterial infection could stem from
bacterial species not part of the normal laryngeal microbiome or from an overgrowth of
commensal bacteria. In a recent study, biopsies were obtained from 44 benign vocal fold
lesions.6 Examination of the bacterial community by 454 pyrosequencing demonstrated 5
predominate genera, including Streptococcus, Fusobacterium, Prevotella, Neisseria, and
Gemella.6 In another study examining the microbiome of patients with laryngeal squamous
cell carcinoma, the same genera were identified.7,8 Staphylococcus was not identified in
either of these studies.
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There are limited data available on chronic bacterial laryngitis with only a few reports of
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) laryngitis in the literature.9–11 The
largest case series included 3 cases of MRSA laryngitis and 3 cases of Methicillin-sensitive
Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) laryngitis.11 These patients were dysphonic (vocal
roughness, fatigue, and decreased vocal endurance) and had thickened vocal folds, edema,
crusting, and debris on exam.11 All 6 patients were diagnosed via in-office cultures and were
treated with multiple courses (2–4 weeks) of trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole.11
Additionally, there are a few case reports describing patients with prolonged dysphonia,
culture proven MRSA laryngitis, and treatment with extended courses of trimethoprim-
sulfamethoxazole.9,10

In our clinical population, we observed a cohort of patients with symptoms of chronic

laryngitis and evidence of significant laryngeal inflammation on laryngoscopy for whom
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initial treatments were unsuccessful. Biopsy samples obtained on this group of patients were
cultured. If cultures were positive for pathogenic microbes, the patient underwent treatment
with sensitivity-directed antibiotics. The objectives of this retrospective chart review were to
identify patients with chronic infectious laryngitis, determine the associated organisms and
comorbid conditions, and review treatment regimens to develop greater understanding of this
disease entity.

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Materials and Methods

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We performed a retrospective chart review of adult patients who underwent laryngeal biopsy
for chronic laryngitis with a suspected infectious etiology (January 2013–May 2016). This
study was carried out under Institutional Review Board approval. Patients included in the
study were referred to our tertiary care center for further workup by primary care physicians
or otolaryngologists. All patients had undergone at least 1 prior treatment for laryngitis
including PPI, steroids, antifungal medications, antibiotics, or speech therapy prior to
evaluation in our clinic. Chronic laryngitis was defined as persistent voice changes present
for 3 weeks or greater. Patients had to demonstrate significant laryngeal inflammation such
as edema, erythema, crusting, exudate, and altered vibration on stroboscopic laryngoscopy
to be included in the study (Figure 1). Patients completed the Voice Handicap Index
(VHI-10) with scores higher than 11 considered abnormal.12 All patients had a thorough
history and a comprehensive head and neck exam including laryngoscopy with stroboscopy.
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Patient records including clinical notes, operative reports, culture results, pathology results,
and recorded endoscopic exams were reviewed.

Initially laryngeal swabs were taken for culture; however, these were universally
nondiagnostic. Instead, biopsies were obtained for culture both to increase yield and assess
for intra-epithelial bacteria. Biopsies were taken either awake using an Olympus chip tip
flexible laryngoscope and 1.4 mm cup forceps through the 2 mm working side channel
(Hamburg, Germany) or under general anesthesia via micro-direct laryngoscopy using 1 mm
cup forceps. Procedure preference was determined by the presence of concomitant laryngeal
disease and the patient’s ability to tolerate an awake procedure. Biopsies were taken of a
representative portion of the vestibular fold when done under general anesthesia and of the
anterior left vestibular fold when done awake due to the technical ease of obtaining a biopsy
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of this location through an Olympus channeled laryngoscope. The biopsy samples were sent
for both pathologic analysis and anaerobic, aerobic, fungal, and acid-fast bacterial cultures.
Viral cultures were not taken as symptom duration was longer than a typical viral course.
Initial treatment was based on culture results and sensitivities, and continued treatment was
based on patient response to antibiotic treatment. Patients were also referred to infectious
disease for evaluation.

Results
Patient Demographics
Fifteen patients were identified via retrospective chart review (Table 1). There were 10 male
and 5 female patients ages 36 to 86 years old. All patients presented with persistent
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hoarseness that ranged in duration from 4 weeks to 5 years. The VHI-10 scores prior to
treatment were 17 to 40 (Table 1). The most frequently reported comorbid symptoms were
reflux related, including heartburn, regurgitation, or belching (9 patients). Eleven patients
were on a PPI at the time of evaluation. Four patients (Nos. 4, 5, 8, 14; Table 1) had diabetes
mellitus, 1 (No. 5) had autoimmune disease, and 3 (Nos. 4, 6, 14) had prior treatment for
head and neck cancer including radiation. There were no current smokers, but 4 had a prior
history of smoking. Six patients underwent additional interventions during the microdirect
laryngoscopy performed to obtain biopsies for culture. Two patients (Nos. 10, 12; Table 1)

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underwent excision of papillomas, 2 (Nos. 9, 11) had treatment of subglottic stenosis, 1 (No.
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4) had excision of a right vocal fold squamous cell carcinoma in situ, and 1 (No. 5) had
excision of a left vestibular fold laryngocele.

Culture and Pathology Results

Figure 2 and Table 2 demonstrate the culture results obtained from the biopsies. The
predominant organism isolated was MSSA (12/15 cultures). Only 1 of 15 cultures
demonstrated MRSA. Other species isolated included Serratia marcescens (2/15 cultures)
and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (1/15 cultures). One culture demonstrated “normal respiratory
flora.” There are more culture results than patients because 2 cultures grew both Serratia
marcescens and MSSA. One culture initially grew predominantly Serratia marcescens with a
few MSSA, but after successful treatment with a subsequent recurrence, repeat culture
demonstrated only MSSA. The other patient grew MSSA and Serratia simultaneously. One
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culture was positive for fungal organisms, demonstrating moderate Histoplasma capsulatum.
None of the biopsies that were cultured for acid-fast bacteria (AFB) were positive; however,
only half of the biopsy samples were sent for AFB. Pathology results for 12 patients were
consistent with inflammation, 2 were not sent for pathology, and 1 was positive for
squamous cell carcinoma; however, this patient had a prior history of laryngeal squamous
cell carcinoma.

Laryngoscopy With Stroboscopy Findings Consistent With Infectious Laryngitis

Figure 3 demonstrates examples of the indirect laryngoscopic findings seen in this patient
population. Photos on the left are pretreatment demonstrating edema of the vocal folds,
diffuse erythema, crusting, and exudate involving the endolarynx. Photos on the right are
posttreatment photos obtained after multiple extended courses of antibiotics. The 4 patients
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represented in Figure 3 had MSSA-associated laryngitis. Initially there was an excellent

response to antibiotics, but symptoms and laryngoscopy findings recurred after
discontinuation of antibiotics.

Treatment
Treatment and antibiotic choice (Table 2) were governed by microbiologic sensitivities with
the typical treatment course for both MRSA- and MSSA-associated laryngitis consisting of
trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole. Pseudomonas aeruginosa was treated with ciprofloxacin,
and Serratia marcescens was treated with levofloxacin. Treatment duration ranged from 10
to 261 days. Three patients did not receive antibiotic treatment. Five patients at the time of
this article were either currently undergoing their first course of antibiotic treatment or had
complete resolution of symptoms with 1 course of antibiotics. Seven patients required
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multiple courses of antibiotics. These patients had an initial response to antibiotics, but
symptoms and laryngeal findings of inflammation recurred after antibiotics were
discontinued. In these situations, the type of antibiotic was not changed, but the duration of
treatment was extended. Only patients with MSSA- or MRSA-associated laryngitis required
multiple courses of antibiotics. Non-Staphylococcus infections were successfully treated
with 1 course of antibiotics. Eleven of the 15 patients were referred to infectious disease for
evaluation.

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Discussion
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This study describes a population of patients with chronic dysphonia plus laryngeal
inflammation consisting of edema, diffuse erythema, crusting, and exudate that can be
attributed to pathogenic bacteria including MSSA, MRSA, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and
Serratia marcescens. Biopsy for culture revealed pathologic bacteria that can be targeted
with culture-sensitivity directed antibiotics. The majority of patients had cultures positive for
MSSA (12/15). Chronic laryngitis secondary to bacterial infection may be underrecognized
and should be included in the differential diagnosis of patients with prolonged dysphonia,
especially if laryngeal crusting and exudate are present as these findings appear most
indicative of bacterial infection.

In cases of suspected bacterial infection, a culture should be obtained. Laryngeal culture

swabs can be an initial diagnostic test as they are minimally invasive and easily performed in
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the clinic. However, it was the experience of the primary surgeon in this study that culture
swabs of the larynx were more likely to have negative results despite obvious clinical
abnormality of the larynx. Culture swabs of the glottis do not demonstrate infection
reliably13 and can lead to a high false negative rate. Additionally, infectious bacteria may be
intra-epithelial and therefore only apparent on tissue biopsy and not laryngeal swab. Tissue
biopsy for pathology is also helpful in demonstrating an inflammatory response to bacteria
rather than only colonization. Finally, the bacterial community of benign vocal fold lesions
has been shown to be distinct from throat and saliva samples from healthy patients,6
suggesting that sampling saliva or the throat is not adequate for diagnosing laryngeal
infection. These samples may be contaminated with nasopharyngeal or oropharyngeal
bacterial communities.
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Approximately half of the patients in this study (n = 7) had in-office biopsies for culture
with the remainder done in the operating room. It is possible that this difference in procedure
may have affected culture results. Currently, there are no published reports comparing the
sensitivity and specificity of in-office versus operating room biopsies for culture. A recent
study comparing in-office versus operating room biopsies for pathologic diagnosis found
that in-office biopsies had 60% sensitivity and 87% specificity when compared to the final
pathologic diagnosis obtained in the operating room.14 There was especially poor sensitivity
when diagnosing dysplasia and carcinoma in situ on in-office biopsies.14 In these cases,
pathologic diagnosis can be difficult secondary to the small biopsy size and limited depth
inherent to in-office biopsies. These factors may not impact bacterial culture results from
biopsied tissue. In our study, the only biopsy that was nondiagnostic (“normal respiratory
flora”) was obtained in the operating room. This suggests that in-office biopsy for culture is
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a valid option; however, further studies comparing the 2 techniques are needed.

The cultures obtained on our 15 patients demonstrated a preponderance of MSSA and

MRSA. This is the largest case series to be reported in the literature but is still a small
sample size. It is possible that some cases of chronic laryngitis are due to fungal or AFB
infection, and therefore, biopsies should be sent for aerobic, anaerobic, fungal, and AFB
cultures. Additionally, even in patients with no suspicion for concomitant pathology, we
recommend submitting a biopsy specimen for pathology. It is unclear what, if any, comorbid

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conditions predispose patients to infectious laryngitis. Ruling out dysplasia, carcinoma in

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situ, and squamous cell carcinoma remains of utmost importance in patients with long-term
voice changes. It is unknown if other laryngeal pathologies such as recurrent respiratory
papillomas, subglottic stenosis, and carcinoma in situ change the host defense of the
laryngeal mucosa and predispose patients to pathologic bacterial colonization of the larynx.

The medical comorbidities that predispose certain patients to develop infectious laryngitis
remain unclear. None of the patients had a history of recent hospitalizations, so the bacterial
infections were community acquired. We examined conditions that may cause
immunosuppression and did not have a large enough patient sample to see a distinct pattern.
One could hypothesize that immunosuppression from diabetes mellitus, HIV, or autoimmune
disease; impaired saliva production from a history of radiation for head and neck cancer; or
ciliary dysfunction from smoking could affect host defenses, resulting in chronic bacterial
laryngitis. A recent study comparing the laryngeal microbiome between smokers and
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nonsmokers found less microbial diversity in smokers.15 This decreased diversity may allow
pathogenic bacteria to persist. The most commonly reported comorbid condition for our
patients was symptoms of reflux, and a majority of patients were using a PPI at the time of
study, likely a combination of their symptoms and the use of PPIs as first-line treatment for
chronic laryngitis. One hypothesis is that reflux may be affecting the mucosal environment
and changing the composition of the laryngeal microbiome. However, Staphylococcus
aureus does not grow well at pH environments less than 5.5,16 making a link between reflux
and MSSA/MRSA laryngitis less likely. Additionally, comparing the laryngeal microbiome
of patients with and without reflux demonstrated no change in microbial diversity or
composition.15 Understanding the underlying etiology of chronic bacterial laryngitis will be
essential for prompt diagnosis, successful treatment, and prevention. Larger prospective
studies will be necessary to identify contributing factors to the development of infectious
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laryngitis.

The cultures in this study primarily grew 1 bacterial species with the exception of 2 patients.
The complete bacterial microbiome associated with chronic laryngitis is still unknown, and
it is possible that there are multiple alterations to the bacterial community that allow
pathogenic bacteria to persist, causing prolonged dysphonia and laryngeal inflammation. In
the future, it will be important to sequence the entire microbiome and compare to healthy
laryngeal tissue to fully understand the microbial shifts that take place in this disease
process. This may also provide better preventive measures and treatment options.

While this case series did not specifically examine the role of biofilms, there is evidence that
they may play a role in chronic laryngitis. In 1 study, biopsies from 13 patients with chronic
laryngitis were compared to 5 patients with benign vocal fold lesions.17 Biopsies were
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analyzed with confocal scanning laser microscopy (CSLM) looking for morphological
characteristics typical of biofilms. Eight of the 13 (62%) patients with chronic laryngitis
demonstrated a biofilm on CSLM while only 1 patient out of 5 (20%) with benign vocal fold
lesions demonstrated a biofilm. Species typically found in biofilms included Staphylococcus
aureus, Haemophilus influenzae, Candida albicans, Moraxella nonliquefa, Propionibacter
acnes, Neisseria meningitidis, and Streptococcus pneumoniae.17,18 Biofilms are 10 to 1000

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times more resistant to antibiotics compared to planktonic bacteria, which could explain the
need for extended and multiple course of antibiotics to treat MSSA and MRSA laryngitis.19
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Most soft tissue infections in otolaryngology are treated with a 5- to 14-day course of
antibiotics. This study along with previously published reports9–11 demonstrates that a 14-
day course of antibiotics may not be sufficient to treat chronic bacterial laryngitis. In our
cohort, the shortest duration of antibiotics that was effective was 3 weeks for Pseudomonas
aeruginosa laryngitis. Approximately half of the patients in this study required multiple
courses of antibiotics to obtain a response. In these patients, the improvement in symptoms
and appearance of the larynx on laryngoscopy was temporary. All of the patients requiring
multiple courses of antibiotics secondary to recurrent symptoms had MSSA- or MRSA-
associated laryngitis. This suggests that MSSA/MRSA laryngitis may behave similarly to
chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) where Staphylococcus aureus can persist despite multiple
courses of culture-directed antibiotics.20 Intra-epithelial bacteria may also require prolonged
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antibiotic treatment to clear. In CRS, intracellular S. aureus is associated with the need for
revision sinus surgery and higher rates of early disease relapse.21 It may be beneficial to
obtain a concurrent infectious disease consult to help co-manage patients with bacterial
laryngitis.

When evaluating patients with dysphonia for greater than 3 months duration, a
comprehensive voice evaluation should be performed, including laryngoscopy with
stroboscopy. If laryngeal edema, exudate, and crusting are observed and prior treatments
have failed, a biopsy for culture could be performed. The location of the biopsy (in-office vs
operating room) is dependent on patient cooperation and anxiety as well as the presence of
concomitant lesions that may need further evaluation. Tissue should be sent for aerobic,
anaerobic, fungal, and acid-fast bacteria cultures. Antibiotic treatment should be initiated
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only if culture results are positive. Cases of chronic dysphonia are heterogeneous, so clinical
judgement should always be used to determine the appropriate workup, need to rule out
malignancy or other underlying conditions, and treatment.

Conclusions
Patients presenting with persistent dysphonia and characteristic laryngoscopy findings of
laryngeal inflammation could be biopsied for culture to assess for infectious laryngitis.
Methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus is the most frequently isolated bacterial species
in chronic bacterial laryngitis; however, further study and more in-depth sequencing
strategies will be essential to understanding the microbiology and pathology of this disease
process. Additionally, further study will identify comorbid conditions that may predispose
patients to developing infectious laryngitis.
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Acknowledgments
We would like to acknowledge Elyse Handley for her assistance with preparation and submission of the
Institutional Review Board protocol.

Funding

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The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of
this article: This research study was supported by the NIH/NIDCD T32 DC0012280.
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Figure 1.
Laryngoscopy image of chronic laryngitis. Laryngoscopy findings seen in chronic bacterial
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laryngitis include edema, erythema, crusting, and exudate. The presence of exudate is most
commonly associated with bacterial etiology.
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Figure 2.
Bacterial species isolated from chronic laryngitis cultures. Culture results demonstrated a
predominance of Methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus as the causative organism for
chronic laryngitis (12/15). Serratia marcescens was isolated from 2 cultures while
Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus were each isolated
from 1 out of 15 cultures. One culture demonstrated only “normal respiratory flora” despite
the larynx having the characteristic appearance of chronic bacterial laryngitis.
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Figure 3.
Representative laryngoscopy images of chronic laryngitis pre- and posttreatment. Examples
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of pathologic findings seen with chronic bacterial laryngitis including edema, crusting, and
exudate from 4 separate patients (Patient Nos. 1–4) are demonstrated. Panels on the left are
pretreatment, and panels on the right are the corresponding posttreatment photographs.
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Table 1

Summary of the Study Population Including Demographic Data, Comorbid Conditions, VHI-10, Symptom Duration, and Workup.

Common Comorbid Conditions

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Patient Age Gender DM Reflux Smoking VHI-10 Dysphonia Duration Diagnostic Procedure
1 55 M No Yes No 29 1y Awake FLC
2 86 M No Yes No 34 2y Awake FLC
3 56 M No Yes Prior 40 2 mo Awake FLC
4 70 M Yes Yes Prior 32 1y MDL
5 40 M Yes Yes No 19 5y MDL
6 63 M No No Prior 37 10 mo Awake FLC
7 62 M No Yes No 26 9 wk Awake FLC
8 46 F Yes No No 35 0 MDL
9 36 F No No No 17 4 wk MDL
10 66 M No No Prior 24 1y MDL
11 38 F No Yes No 24 4 mo MDL
12 46 M No Yes No 29 2y MDL
13 54 F No Yes No NA 4 mo Awake FLC
14 69 F Yes No No 38 6 mo MDL
15 38 M No No No 31 3y Awake FLC

Abbreviations: DM, diabetes mellitus; FLC, flexible laryngoscopy with channel; MDL, microdirect laryngoscopy; VHI-10, Voice Handicap Index 10.

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Table 2

Culture Results and Treatment Regimens of the Study Population.a

Microbiology Results and Treatment Regimens

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Culture Results Treatment

Patient Age Gender Aerobic Fungal AFB Antibiotic No. of Courses/Total Duration
1 55 M MSSA Negative Negative TMP-SMX 1/180 d
2 86 M Pseudomonas Positive NA Ciprofloxacin 1/21 d
3 56 M MSSA Negative NA None Patient lost to follow-up
4 70 M MRSA Negative Negative TMP-SMX 3/215 d
5 40 M MSSA Negative NA TMP-SMX 4/192 d
6 63 M MSSA Negative NA TMP-SMX 2/261 d
7 62 M MSSA Negative NA TMP-SMX 3/171 d
8 46 F “Normal respiratory flora” Negative Negative None No treatment indicated
9 36 F Serratia then MSSA Negative NA Levofloxacin, TMP-SMX 1/14 d (L); 1/28 d (B)
10 66 M MSSA Negative NA TMP-SMX 1/90 d
11 38 F MSSA Negative Negative TMP-SMX 1/10 d
12 46 M MSSA Negative Negative TMP-SMX Multiple at OSH
13 54 F Serratia and MSSA Negative Negative None NA
14 69 F MSSA Negative Negative TMP-SMX 1/56 d
15 38 M MSSA Negative Negative Cephalexin 1/28 d

a
Patient No. 3 did not follow up after his biopsy for culture, so treatment was never initiated. Patient No. 9 initially had Serratia and was treated with levofloxacin (L). Repeat culture demonstrated only
MSSA, and treatment consisted of TMP-SMX (B). Levofloxacin appeared to be successful in treating Serratia. Patient No. 11 was prescribed a longer course of antibiotics but stopped TMP-SMX early
secondary to a rash. Patient No. 12 had multiple courses of TMP-SMX at an outside institution, but the exact duration was not available. The culture from Patient No. 13 grew Serratia and MSSA
simultaneously. Patient No. 13 was evaluated by infectious disease, and the decision was made not to treat the culture results. Abbreviations: AFP, acid-fast bacteria; MRSA, Methicillin-resistant

Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol. Author manuscript; available in PMC 2017 June 06.
Staphylococcus aureus; MSSA, Methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus; OSH, outside hospital; TMP-SMX, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole or Bactrim.
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