The first step in treating<unk>  is to eliminate or control those risk factors that are causing the disease. This includes the cessation of smoking, the control of gastric reflux using antacids and/or Proton Pump Inhibitors (PPIs), and the discontinuation of activities that cause vocal distress. Those experiencing a hoarseness of the voice may choose to undergo voice therapy to improve the voice's quality and range. Most cases of<unk>  are caused by the long term usage of cigarettes. In this case, it is important to make lifestyle changes to stop smoking. While this will not resolve or improve the edema, the cessation of smoking will halt the disease's progression. If the elimination of risk factors is not sufficient to improve the patient's symptoms, surgery may be required. The most common type of surgery performed today for<unk>  is called surgical microlaryngoscopy. Most procedures follow the microflap technique set in place by Hirano. During surgery, an incision is made into the vocal cord using either microscissors or a CO2 laser. A flap of mucosa is lifted and the affected tissue is removed using suction or a microdebrider. The flap is then re-draped and trimmed to the appropriate size. Most cases of<unk>  are bilateral - effecting both vocal cords - rather than unilateral. In the case of bilateral edema, the surgeon must choose whether to operate each side of the vocal cord in two separate surgeries or to operate both sides in a single surgery. The complication associated with removing tissue from both sides in a single surgery is that the raw, cut ends of the vocal cords may form an anterior glottis web, in which the two sides grow together in a continuous sheet. Other complications of surgery include tissue scarring due to damage to the vocal ligament during the incision and vocal cord stiffening due to over-suctioning of the superficial lamina propria<unk> 's space). While surgical microlaryngoscopy has its associated risks, if left untreated,<unk>  can lead to a variety of long-term complications. Besides dysphonia (impaired speech), the most serious of these complications is airway obstruction due to severe inflammation of the vocal cords. The risk of complications has decreased drastically with the creation of new tools, such as the CO2 laser for surgical microlaryngoscopy. Before the Hirano microflap method was developed in 1895, vocal stripping was the most common procedure used to correct<unk> . Vocal stripping was often performed without magnification and with a monocular laryngoscope, instead of a binocular scope. This led to major complications such as vocal ligament scarring. Women are more likely than men to undergo surgery due to a greater change in vocal pitch and quality. Surgery is capable of restoring the voice, with the condition that smoking is not resumed after surgery. Post-operative voice therapy is also advised to restore the voice's strength.<unk>  is not a fatal pathology unless the tissue becomes precancerous.
Reinke's edema
Berlin's edema
Forchheimer spots
Fuchs spot
Koplik's spots
Bitot's spots
Olney's lesions
Roth's spot