Bamboo nodes in a patient with rheumatoid arthritis: Case report and review of literature

Abstract

Objective: To report a third case of bamboo nodes in a patient with rheumatoid arthritis with a review of the literature. Methods: Case report and literature review using keywords “bamboo nodes” and “vocal cords”. Results A total of 17 case reports and one case series of 19 patients were identified. Only two subjects were reported to have rheumatoid arthritis as an underlying autoimmune disease. In this report, the authors describe a third case of bamboo nodes in a patient with rheumatoid arthritis who presented with hoarseness, voice loss and voice fatigue. Laryngeal video-endo-stroboscopic examination revealed bilateral transverse submucosal yellowish lesions of the vocal folds with the clinical description of Bamboo nodes. Patient was started on voice therapy with minimal improvement following which she underwent local steroid injection using the transoral Fiberoptic Injection Technique as an office procedure. Conclusion Bamboo nodes are a potential cause of dysphonia in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. With the advent of vocal fold injection as an office procedure, early intervention with local steroid injection as a management strategy is advocated by the authors. © 2018, American University of Beirut. All rights reserved.