Smoking is the number one cause of Reinke's edema. Other factors include gastroesophageal reflux, hypothyroidism and chronic overuse of the voice. Smoking is the only risk factor that may lead to cancer. Additionally, the combination of several risk factors increase the likelihood of an individual developing Reinke's edema. For example, an individual who smokes and also has gastric reflux would have an increased susceptibility for developing Reinke's edema over time.

Reinke's edema is commonly diagnosed in middle-aged females with a history of smoking (aged 50 years or older). Because males have lower pitched voices than females, males are less likely to observe a significant changes in the voice, and are therefore less likely to seek treatment. Females also report more physical discomfort due to Reinke's edema. The risk of Reinke's edema increases with age and also with prolonged exposure to smoking. Additionally, individuals in professions that require constant use of the voice, such as singers, teachers, and radio hosts, may be at an increased risk for developing the disease.

Because the disease is heavily linked to smoking, there is no established way to screen for Reinke's edema. Similarly, the only way to prevent Reinke's edema is to avoid smoking. By adopting a non-smoking lifestyle after being diagnosed with Reinke's edema, it is possible to stop the disease's progression, although it is not possible to reverse it. Therefore, it is critical to maintain a non-smoking lifestyle even after surgery, because the fluid can re-emerge. In fact, in many cases surgeons will not perform surgery without the guarantee that the individual will stop smoking.

Granuloma multiforme (also known as "Mkar disease" and "granuloma multiforme (Leiker)") is a cutaneous condition most commonly seen in central Africa, and rarely elsewhere, characterized by skin lesions that are on the upper trunk and arms in sun-exposed areas. It may be confused with tuberculoid leprosy, with which it has clinical similarities. The condition was first noted by Gosset in the 1940s, but it was not until 1964 that Leiker coined the term to describe "a disease resembling leprosy" in his study in Nigeria.

Subcutaneous granuloma annulare (also known as "Deep granuloma annulare," and "Pseudorheumatoid nodule") is a skin condition of unknown cause, most commonly affecting children, with girls affected twice as commonly as boys, characterized by skin lesions most often on the lower legs.

In medicine, nodules are solid, elevated areas of tissue or fluid inside or under the skin with a diameter greater than 0.5 centimeters. Nodules may form on tendons and muscles in response to injury. The vocal cords may also develop nodules. Nodules are normally benign and often painless, although they can affect the functioning of the organ.

Vocal fold nodules, thyroid nodules and rheumatoid nodules are examples. Furuncles and Kaposi's sarcomata are known to cause dermatological nodules.

The sexual transmitted disease (STD) gonorrhea is also known for its cause of nodules on the genitalia and mouth for those who are victim to the disease.

Smaller (less than 0.5 cm) elevated soft tissue lesions may be termed papules.

Treatment usually involves surgical removal of the lesion down to the bone. If there are any adjacent teeth, they are cleaned thoroughly with scaling and root planing (SRP) to remove any possible source of irritation. Recurrence is around 10%.

According to the WHO classification, three lesional patterns can be observed

- Inflammatory myofibroblastic tumour, that can be associated with a ALK gene rearrangement

- Plasmocytic pattern ("plasma cell granuloma"), that can be linked to IgG4-related disease

- Fibrous and hyalinizing pattern: Pulmonary hyalinizing granuloma

The condition is usually seen in otherwise healthy people. Occasionally, it may be associated with diabetes or thyroid disease. It has also been associated with auto-immune diseases such as systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, Lyme disease and Addison's disease. At this time no conclusive connection has been made between patients.

For patients in need of tracheal intubation to receive oral drugs, an oversized tube, excessive movement of the tube, or infection can lead to contact granulomas, but this is rare.

Tuberculous lymphadenitis (or tuberculous adenitis) is a chronic specific granulomatous inflammation of the lymph node with caseation necrosis, caused by infection with "Mycobacterium tuberculosis" or "Mycobacterium bovis".

The characteristic morphological element is the tuberculous granuloma (caseating tubercule). This consists of giant multinucleated cells and (Langhans cells), surrounded by epithelioid cells aggregates, T cell lymphocytes and fibroblasts. Granulomatous tubercules eventually develop central caseous necrosis and tend to become confluent, replacing the lymphoid tissue.

Recent studies have examined the role of specific cell types in Reinke's edema, including the role of vocal cord fibroblasts. In normal tissue, these spindle-shaped CD34+ fibroblasts produce extracellular matrix proteins such as collagen and elastin. Recent findings have shown a morphological change in fibroblasts extracted from the tissue of Reinke's edema to a more dendritic-like shape with several protrusions. Large populations of these altered CD34+ fibroblasts have been found surrounding the areas of edema. They lack normal expression of several Cluster Differentiation (CD) proteins and express additional proteins that are not expressed in normal vocal cord fibroblasts. Furthermore, cigarette smoke was discovered to increase COX-2 and PGE2 expression in fibroblasts, which could indicate the role of cigarette smoke in Reinke's edema.

While smoking is a clear risk factor to Reinke's edema, other risk factors are being identified to explain Reinke's edema in nonsmokers. Research has suggested the role of bacterial colonies in non-neoplastic lesions such as Reinke's edema. Using pyrosequencing, strains of "S. pseudopneumoniae" were found as the dominant bacterial strain across most non-neoplastic lesions. Of all the sequences analyzed, streptococcus represented 72.9% of bacteria found within these lesions. While smoking, gastric reflux, and vocal abuse have been more widely agreed upon in literature as risk factors for Reinke's edema, the altered bacterial cultures could be developed as a diagnostic tool in the future.

The majority of the research within the last ten years focuses on improving surgery for Reinke's edema. Due to the importance of the Reinke's space in speech, it is important that minimally invasive techniques be perfected that minimize the risk of complications. The CO2 laser has been successfully incorporated into the surgical technique, however, there are several other lasers being investigated for use in Reinke's edema. These include photoangiolytic lasers and potassium titanyl phosphate lasers.

Inflammatory issues associated with contact granuloma include gastroesophageal reflux, allergy or infection. There is some disagreement among researchers as to whether inflammatory issues are a direct cause. Some researchers identify reflux and infection as indirect causes due to aggressive coughing that usually occurs as a result.

Perforating granuloma annulare is a skin condition of unknown cause, usually appearing on the dorsal hands, presenting as papules with a central keratotic core.

Many conditions affect the human integumentary system—the organ system covering the entire surface of the body and composed of skin, hair, nails, and related muscle and glands. The major function of this system is as a barrier against the external environment. The skin weighs an average of four kilograms, covers an area of two square meters, and is made of three distinct layers: the epidermis, dermis, and subcutaneous tissue. The two main types of human skin are: glabrous skin, the hairless skin on the palms and soles (also referred to as the "palmoplantar" surfaces), and hair-bearing skin. Within the latter type, the hairs occur in structures called pilosebaceous units, each with hair follicle, sebaceous gland, and associated arrector pili muscle. In the embryo, the epidermis, hair, and glands form from the ectoderm, which is chemically influenced by the underlying mesoderm that forms the dermis and subcutaneous tissues.

The epidermis is the most superficial layer of skin, a squamous epithelium with several strata: the stratum corneum, stratum lucidum, stratum granulosum, stratum spinosum, and stratum basale. Nourishment is provided to these layers by diffusion from the dermis, since the epidermis is without direct blood supply. The epidermis contains four cell types: keratinocytes, melanocytes, Langerhans cells, and Merkel cells. Of these, keratinocytes are the major component, constituting roughly 95 percent of the epidermis. This stratified squamous epithelium is maintained by cell division within the stratum basale, in which differentiating cells slowly displace outwards through the stratum spinosum to the stratum corneum, where cells are continually shed from the surface. In normal skin, the rate of production equals the rate of loss; about two weeks are needed for a cell to migrate from the basal cell layer to the top of the granular cell layer, and an additional two weeks to cross the stratum corneum.

The dermis is the layer of skin between the epidermis and subcutaneous tissue, and comprises two sections, the papillary dermis and the reticular dermis. The superficial papillary dermis with the overlying rete ridges of the epidermis, between which the two layers interact through the basement membrane zone. Structural components of the dermis are collagen, elastic fibers, and ground substance. Within these components are the pilosebaceous units, arrector pili muscles, and the eccrine and apocrine glands. The dermis contains two vascular networks that run parallel to the skin surface—one superficial and one deep plexus—which are connected by vertical communicating vessels. The function of blood vessels within the dermis is fourfold: to supply nutrition, to regulate temperature, to modulate inflammation, and to participate in wound healing.

The subcutaneous tissue is a layer of fat between the dermis and underlying fascia. This tissue may be further divided into two components, the actual fatty layer, or panniculus adiposus, and a deeper vestigial layer of muscle, the panniculus carnosus. The main cellular component of this tissue is the adipocyte, or fat cell. The structure of this tissue is composed of septal (i.e. linear strands) and lobular compartments, which differ in microscopic appearance. Functionally, the subcutaneous fat insulates the body, absorbs trauma, and serves as a reserve energy source.

Conditions of the human integumentary system constitute a broad spectrum of diseases, also known as dermatoses, as well as many nonpathologic states (like, in certain circumstances, melanonychia and racquet nails). While only a small number of skin diseases account for most visits to the physician, thousands of skin conditions have been described. Classification of these conditions often presents many nosological challenges, since underlying etiologies and pathogenetics are often not known. Therefore, most current textbooks present a classification based on location (for example, conditions of the mucous membrane), morphology (chronic blistering conditions), etiology (skin conditions resulting from physical factors), and so on. Clinically, the diagnosis of any particular skin condition is made by gathering pertinent information regarding the presenting skin lesion(s), including the location (such as arms, head, legs), symptoms (pruritus, pain), duration (acute or chronic), arrangement (solitary, generalized, annular, linear), morphology (macules, papules, vesicles), and color (red, blue, brown, black, white, yellow). Diagnosis of many conditions often also requires a skin biopsy which yields histologic information that can be correlated with the clinical presentation and any laboratory data.

Voice disorders are medical conditions involving abnormal pitch, loudness or quality of the sound produced by the larynx and thereby affecting speech production. These include:

- Puberphonia

- Chorditis

- Vocal fold nodules

- Vocal fold cysts

- Vocal cord paresis

- Reinke's edema

- Spasmodic dysphonia

- Foreign accent syndrome

- Bogart–Bacall syndrome

- Laryngeal papillomatosis

- Laryngitis

The following increase an individual's chances for acquiring VCD:

- Upper airway inflammation (allergic or non-allergic rhinitis, chronic sinusitis, recurrent upper respiratory infections)

- Gastroesophageal reflux disease

- Past traumatic event that involved breathing (e.g. near-drowning, suffocation)

- Severe emotional trauma or distress

- Female gender

- Playing a wind instrument

- Playing a competitive or elite sport

It presents as soft, moist, pink, pedunculated, friable lesion. It usually appears after the umbilical cord has been separated.

The exact cause of Majocchi's granuloma is not well established however a dysfunctinoal immune system may be a causative factor. The first form of MG, the superficial perifollicular form occurs predominately on the legs of otherwise healthy young women who repeatedly shave their legs and develop hair follicle occlusions that directly or indirectly disrupt the follicle and allow for passive introduction of the organism into the dermis. Hence, the physical barrier of the skin is important because it prevents the penetration of microorganisms. Physical factors that play a major role in inhibiting dermal invasion include the interaction among keratin production, the rate of epidermal turnover, the degree of hydration and lipid composition of the stratum corneum, CO levels, and the presence or absence of hair. Keratin and/or necrotic material can also be introduced into the dermis with an infectious organism to further enhance the problem. In immunocompromised individuals, the use of topical corticosteroids may lead to a dermatophyte infection due to local immunosuppression.

Annular elastolytic giant-cell granuloma (also known as "Giant cell elastophagocytosis," "Meischer's granuloma," "Miescher's granuloma of the face") is a cutaneous condition characterized histologically by a dermal infiltrate of macrophages.

Pyogenic granuloma (also known as a "eruptive hemangioma", "granulation tissue-type hemangioma", "granuloma gravidarum", "lobular capillary hemangioma", "pregnancy tumor", and "tumor of pregnancy") is a vascular lesion that occurs on both mucosa and skin, and appears as an overgrowth of tissue due to irritation, physical trauma, or hormonal factors. It is often found to involve the gums, the skin and nasal septum, and has also been found far from the head such as in the thigh.

Pulmonary hyalinizing granuloma is characterized by localized changes in lung architecture determinated by deposition of hyaline collagenous fibrosis accompanied by sparse lymphocytic infiltrate that compresses and distorts the remaining bronchioles. A higher magnification, the mass is composed by hypocellular collagen lamellae.

Pulmonary hyalinizing granuloma is a lesional pattern of pulmonary inflammatory pseudotumor.

Aside from the mosquito allergy cat, cats with EGC usually have allergy, ectoparasite infestation or possibly ringworm or other skin infection. Other implicated causes include traumatic damage, autoimmune disease or FeLV infection.

"Listeria monocytogenes" infection in infants can cause potentially fatal disseminated granulomas, called granulomatosis infantiseptica, following "in utero" infection.

Crohn's disease is an inflammatory condition of uncertain cause characterized by severe inflammation in the wall of the intestines and other parts of the abdomen. Within the inflammation in the gut wall, granulomas are often found and are a clue to the diagnosis.

The appearance of pyogenic granuloma is usually a color ranging from red/pink to purple, and can be smooth or lobulated. Younger lesions are more likely to be red because of the high number of blood vessels. Older lesions begin to change into a pink color. Size commonly ranges from a few millimeters to centimeters, though smaller or larger lesions may occur. A pyogenic granuloma can be painful, especially if located in an area of the body where it is constantly disturbed. Pyogenic granulomas can grow rapidly and will often bleed profusely with little or no trauma. They may exude an oil like substance, causing the surface to be damp. This is especially true if the granuloma is located on the scalp.

Pyogenic granulomas may be seen at any age, and are more common in females than males. In pregnant women, lesions may occur in the first trimester with an increasing incidence up until the seventh month, and are often seen on the gums. Epulis granulomatosum is a variant of pyogenic granuloma that forms only on gingiva, and is often seen forming in a recent extraction socket. Pyogenic granulomas appear on the gingiva in 75% of cases, more often in the maxillary than mandibular jaw. Anterior areas are more often affected than posterior areas. It can also be found on the lips, tongue, and inner cheek. Poor oral hygiene or trauma are usually precipitating factors.

One study has suggested a correlation between pyogenic granulomas and Bartonella seropositivity. However, this association has been questioned by others. The microscopic appearance of a pyogenic granuloma consists of highly vascular granulation tissue. Inflammation is present. The lesion may have a fibrous character if it is older, and the surface may have ulcerations. Pyogenic granulomas rarely occur in the conjunctiva, cornea or connective tissue of the eye following minor local trauma. Grossly these mass lesions resemble those occurring at more common sites. The relationship of these lesion to lobular capillary hemangiomas of skin and oropharyngeal mucosa commonly referred to as pyogenic granuloma is uncertain.