The value of narrow band imaging for early detection of laryngeal cancer

We evaluate the value of laryngoscopy using narrow band imaging (NBI) system in the diagnosis of precancerous and cancerous laryngeal lesions. Thirty-four patients were suspected of having a total of 35 precancerous or cancerous laryngeal lesions among patients receiving conventional white-light laryngoscopy. All 34 patients underwent laryngoscopy with NBI system to determine whether those lesions were malignant before biopsy procedure. The diagnostic criteria of malignancy by NBI view was the presence of demarcated brownish area with scattered brown spots in the lesion. Histopathologic results were retrospectively compared with results of determination of malignancy made by NBI view. Of the 23 lesions histopathologically proved to be malignancies, 21 lesions were classified as malignant by NBI view. Sensitivity and specificity for the diagnosis of malignancy by means of NBI view compared with histopathologic results were 91.3% for sensitivity and 91.6% for specificity. NBI endoscopy seems to be a very promising diagnostic tool in the diagnosis of laryngeal malignant disease.