Spontaneous Vocal Fold Polyps Remission after Lockdown for Covid-19 Pandemic: Does Vocal Load Matter?

Objective. During the Italian lockdown for Covid-19 emergency, due to stay-at-home orders, many people experienced an unusual period of voice rest. The present case series aims at reporting the spontane-ous regression of some vocal fold polyps during the Italian lockdown for SARS-CoV2 pandemic.Methods. Five patients with voice complaints presenting to a tertiary referral center and diagnosed with vocal fold polyps before the lockdown were included. Because of the lockdown restrictive measures, planned elective surgical procedures were suspended. The patients were re-assessed immediately after lockdown. Multidimen-sional voice assessments were conducted before and after the lockdown period through laryngostroboscopies, perceptual voice evaluations, electroacoustic analysis and self assessments.Results. The patients included in the present case series experienced a complete or nearly complete remission of symptoms. Videolaryngostroboscopies documented a complete or nearly complete regression of the polyps. Voices considerably improved both perceptually and electroacoustically. Self assessments showed a reduction of voice-related complaints.Conclusions. The present study suggests that daily vocal load reduction may play a critical role in the conserva-tive management of vocal fold polyps.