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This is a lecture outline for a talk I am giving on 2013-02-28 in Nice, France at the CEORL conference. High-definition Laryngology is using high and low technology to optimally visualize pathology of the vocal cords and larynx. There are two components to Imaging which can be divided into high technology and low technology.
Mette Pedersen presented a Cochrane reveiw of the medical literature on the topic of the correlation between laryngopharyngeal reflux symptoms and hoarseness. None of the 302 articles she reviewed were adequate to prove or suggest any association between the two conditions. My takeaway: the null hypothesis is likely correct. There is no correlation between laryngopharyngeal reflux symptoms and hoarseness.
Leukoplakia of the left vocal cord. 40 years ago he quit smoking after 10 years of cigarettes. He came in with a lesion on his left vocal cord. After one month, the lesion was still there, perhaps a bit larger. It is viewed here with false color imaging to highlight the blood vessels. At surgery, a close-up of the lesion with a 30° endoscope looks like this. The pathology report described this as verrucus keratosis.
She has a 25 pack year history of smoking. She has bilateral, very large, smoker's polyps which are interfering with her breathing and her voice. She is almost always called "sir" on the telephone. On the left she is breathing out, and on the right she is breathing in.
After neck surgery 20 years ago, he developed a weak voice from a left sided paralyzed vocal cord. Five months ago Teflon was injected into the left vocal cord for a left paralyzed vocal cord. His voice has gotten worse since the injection.
I had the opportunity to review and compare the KayPentax 70° narrow rigid endoscope, Model 9108 for the past two weeks. I was able to compare it to the Karl Storz Hopkins rod 90° rigid endoscope, Model 8707-DJ. KayPentax lists the specifications for their endoscope:
Internal laryngocoele: This mass on the left aryepiglottic fold is an internal laryngocoele. Viewed with false color on a high definition Pentax and the scope the opening for the laryngocoele is based on the left saccule, which also appears dilated. She has COPD with significant pursed lip back pressure. This has forced air up into the left saccule and then dilated the superior edge of the left false vocal cord.
Pentax vs. Olympus flexible chip HD laryngoscopes
Hablo en "laringoscopia de alta definición en la oficina" en la 63 Congreso Nacional de la Sociedad Española de Otorrhinolarngología, Patología Cérvico-Facial en Oviedo, España 6/10/2012.
Nice to see videos being used - here on a TED talk by Max Little on Parkinsons.