Jobran Mansour1, Ofer Amir2, Doron Sagiv3, Eran E Alon4, Michael Wolf4, Adi Primov-Fever4. 1. Department of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Ramat-Gan, Israel. Electronic address: jobran.h@gmail.com. 2. The Speech and Hearing Institute, Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Ramat-Gan, Israel; Department of Communication Disorders, School of Health Professions, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel; Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel. 3. Department of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Ramat-Gan, Israel. 4. Department of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Ramat-Gan, Israel; Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: Stroboscopy is considered the most appropriate tool for evaluating the function of the vocal folds but may harbor significant limitations in children. Still, direct laryngoscopy (DL), under general anesthesia, is regarded the "gold standard" for establishing a diagnosis of vocal fold pathology. The aim of the study is to examine the accuracy of preoperative rigid stroboscopy in children with voice disorders. STUDY DESIGN: This is a retrospective study. METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted on a cohort of 39 children with dysphonia, aged 4 to 18 years, who underwent DL. Twenty-six children underwent rigid stroboscopy (RS) prior to surgery and 13 children underwent fiber-optic laryngoscopy. The preoperative diagnoses were matched with intraoperative (DL) findings. RESULTS: DL was found to contradict preoperative evaluations in 20 out of 39 children (51%) and in 26 out of 53 of the findings (49%). Overdiagnosis of cysts and underdiagnosis of sulci were noted in RS compared to DL. The overall rate of accuracy for RS was 64%. CONCLUSIONS: The accuracy of rigid stroboscopy in the evaluation of children with voice disorders was found to be similar with previous reports in adults.
OBJECTIVES: Stroboscopy is considered the most appropriate tool for evaluating the function of the vocal folds but may harbor significant limitations in children. Still, direct laryngoscopy (DL), under general anesthesia, is regarded the "gold standard" for establishing a diagnosis of vocal fold pathology. The aim of the study is to examine the accuracy of preoperative rigid stroboscopy in children with voice disorders. STUDY DESIGN: This is a retrospective study. METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted on a cohort of 39 children with dysphonia, aged 4 to 18 years, who underwent DL. Twenty-six children underwent rigid stroboscopy (RS) prior to surgery and 13 children underwent fiber-optic laryngoscopy. The preoperative diagnoses were matched with intraoperative (DL) findings. RESULTS: DL was found to contradict preoperative evaluations in 20 out of 39 children (51%) and in 26 out of 53 of the findings (49%). Overdiagnosis of cysts and underdiagnosis of sulci were noted in RS compared to DL. The overall rate of accuracy for RS was 64%. CONCLUSIONS: The accuracy of rigid stroboscopy in the evaluation of children with voice disorders was found to be similar with previous reports in adults.