Reinke’s edema: a proposal for a classification based on morphological characteristics

Purpose: Reinke’s edema is a benign laryngeal condition characterized by swelling of the superficial layer of the lamina propria of the vocal fold. The aim of this work is to propose a new classification of Reinke’s edema based on its morphological characteristics. Methods: Our classification is a synthesis of the classifications available in the literature and is based on morphological characteristics such as the involvement of one or two vocal folds and the presence or absence of polypoid lesions regardless of the observation method. Results: We indicate four types of Reinke’s edema: type 1: Reinke’s edema of one vocal fold; type 2: Reinke’s edema of both vocal folds; type 3: Reinke’s edema of one vocal fold with associated polypoid lesion, not necessarily the same fold of the edema; type 4: Reinke’s edema of both vocal folds with associated polypoid lesion on one or both folds. Conclusion: Our proposed classification for Reinke’s edema represents a synthesis of the classifications available in the literature and is characterized by a simple categorization based on morphological characteristics commonly visible through laryngoscopy.