The Application of I-Scan Imaging for Evaluating Benign Vocal Lesions

TL;DR

This study explores the use of i-scan imaging to better diagnose benign vocal lesions without invasive procedures.

Contribution

The study investigates the novel application of i-scan imaging for non-invasive evaluation of benign vocal lesions.

Findings

I-scan imaging was used prior to steroid injections to assess its diagnostic potential.

The study aimed to evaluate i-scan's ability to provide additional diagnostic information for vocal lesions.

The method was tested on patients with vocal cysts, polyps, and nodules.

Abstract

Current standard methods for evaluating benign vocal lesions, including white light laryngoscopy and video laryngostroboscopy, may struggle to identify smaller lesions. While histopathological results obtained from laryngeal microsurgery provide definitive results, their invasiveness can lead to scarring and impaired phonological outcomes. Intralesional steroid injection has recently gained acceptance, but it lacks pathological diagnostic capabilities. Therefore, there is a growing need for a simple examination that can enhance the diagnosis of benign vocal lesions. NBI, from Olympus Corporation, has shown promising outcomes in detecting and characterizing laryngeal lesions. The i-scan technology by PENTAX, while providing the ability to improve visual clarity during endoscopic procedures, has been addressed less in this field. Our study aims to further investigate the application of i-scan imaging in benign vocal lesions, enrolling patients diagnosed with vocal cysts, polyps, and nodules. We conducted i-scan imaging prior to office-based intralesional steroid injection, assessing the possibility of its providing additional diagnostic information for benign vocal lesions without additional burden.

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