Granuloma

A granuloma can occur anywhere in the body. Essentially, a granuloma is just swollen tissue. Granulomas grow due to irritation in the body. The body reacts to irritants by creating inflammation (swelling) and by creating a mass around that irritation. When that mass forms, the rest of the body is protected from the source of irritation.

For example, if a stitch is left in the skin for too long, a granuloma may form around the stitch. This prevents other parts of the skin from reacting to the stitch material. The granuloma walls the stitch off from the rest of the body.

Vocal granulomas occur when the lining on the cartilage in the back of the larynx is injured. This cartilage is called the arytenoid cartilage and it is covered by a thin lining, similar to the lining on the inside of your cheek. When the lining is injured, it results in the cartilage being exposed to air, food, and acid reflux. When this happens, the cartilage becomes irritated. Rather than allowing that irritation to spread, the body creates a granuloma around that area of injured lining.