Common diseases that cause hoarseness are acute laryngitis, chronic laryngitis or caused by vocal fold lesions such as vocal fold nodules and vocal fold polyps. There may also be new organisms or tumours in the larynx, such as laryngeal cancer and papilloma of the larynx.
For such patients, prompt consultation with the ENT department is required and a laryngoscopy is recommended to initially identify the site of origin. Some patients will also require CT or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and pathological biopsy to clarify the diagnosis in conjunction with ancillary tests.