Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42370493›Full record

Trial reportThe Laryngoscope2026

Awake Blue Light vs. KTP Laser Treatment for Vocal Fold Lesions: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

R Jun Lin, Peter Y F Zeng, Patrick MacInnis, Garret Horton, Jennifer Anderson

Abstract readRandomized Controlled TrialComparative Study
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Trial report in The Laryngoscope, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Trial
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

R Jun LinDepartment of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Unity Health Toronto - St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Peter Y F ZengDepartment of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada.
Patrick MacInnisDepartment of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Unity Health Toronto - St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Garret HortonDepartment of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Unity Health Toronto - St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Jennifer AndersonDepartment of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Unity Health Toronto - St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7080-9567

Funding

St. Michael's Hospital Medical Services Association (SMHA) - AFP Innovation Grant
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveTo compare clinical outcomes of a 445-nm blue light (BL) laser with the established 532-nm potassium titanyl phosphate (KTP) laser for office-based treatment of benign vocal fold lesions.

methodsIn this parallel-group, open-label randomized controlled trial, adults (≥ 18 years) with benign vocal fold lesions underwent baseline VHI-10 and laryngeal stroboscopy, followed by in-office laser treatment. Pain visual analogue scale (VAS) scores were collected at baseline and daily for 7 days after the procedure. The primary outcome was the between-group difference in the change in Voice Handicap Index-10 (VHI-10) scores. Secondary outcomes included between-group comparisons of post-procedural pain and stroboscopic parameters at 90 days after treatment. Linear mixed-effects model assessed changes in VHI-10 and pain VAS over time, while Cochran-Mantel-Haenszel and logistic regression tests compared stroboscopy outcomes.

resultsNinety-eight patients were enrolled (49 per group). Baseline characteristics were similar aside from a slightly younger age in the KTP group (p = 0.048). VHI-10 scores improved significantly in both groups at postoperative day (POD)7 (-5.98), POD30 (-9.28), and POD90 (-12.43) (all p ≤ 0.001), with no between-group differences (p = 0.596). Pain decreased significantly over time (p < 0.001), without group differences (p = 0.47). At POD90, complete vocal fold closure occurred in 91.2% (BL) and 85.7% (KTP) of patients (p = 0.74). Normal mucosal wave was observed in 79.4% (BL) and 81.0% (KTP), with no significant differences.

conclusionBL laser demonstrated clinical outcomes comparable to KTP, with similar voice improvement, pain reduction, and stroboscopic results. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 2:

Indexed as

Laryngeal DiseasesLasers, Solid-StateVocal CordsAdultAgedBlue LightFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedPain MeasurementStroboscopyTreatment Outcomebenign vocal fold lesionsblue light laserKTP laseroffice‐based laryngologyrandomized controlled trial

Identifiers

PMID42370493
PMCPMC13669994

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.