Characterizing Vocal Function and Laryngeal Structural Alterations in Ehlers–Danlos Syndromes: Insights from a Scoping Review
Abstract
Ehlers–Danlos syndromes (EDS) are heritable connective tissue disorders caused by defects in collagen and related extracellular-matrix proteins. Because the vocal fold (VF) lamina propria is a collagen-dependent structure, the voice might be expected to be affected, yet laryngeal involvement has received comparatively little attention. This scoping review, conducted according to the Joanna Briggs Institute framework and reported following the PRISMA extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR), mapped the available evidence on voice and laryngeal manifestations in adults with EDS. PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science were searched to 11 March 2026, and thirteen studies were included: four questionnaire-based and nine clinical or instrumental. Self-reported voice problems were common across EDS and hypermobility spectrum disorder populations, ranging from mild-to-moderate handicap in large cohorts to frequent, fluctuating difficulties in professional singers, although their prevalence varied with population and assessment method. Direct laryngeal examination revealed a recurring substrate of cricoarytenoid joint subluxation or fixation, arytenoid prolapse and hyolaryngeal instability, together with microvascular and mucosal fragility, characteristically accompanied by preserved VF mobility. Muscle tension dysphonia was the most frequent diagnosis in high-vocal-demand cohorts. Reflux, vocal load and autonomic comorbidities such as postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome were…
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