Transoral laryngeal videosurgery under the direct guidance of narrow band imaging: a preliminary report

Excerpt

Transoral CO2 laser-assisted microsurgery (TLM) or videosurgery (TLV) is a fundamental tool in the armamentarium of every otorhinolaryngologist for both benign and malignant laryngeal pathology [1, 2]. In the last decades, several technical improvements have been introduced and, notably, narrow-band imaging (NBI) is a new technology which allows us, by the light of specific blue and green wavelengths, to enhance the details of the vascular patterns at the mucosal surfaces [3]. In the most recent literature, different and reproducible patterns, which can help to distinguish between malignant and benign lesions, have been defined in the head and neck region [4‐6]. Beyond the optical diagnosis, some authors have tried to use such technique to enhance the visualization of the tumor and, ultimately, of the surgical margins during TLM treatment for early glottic cancer [7]. The limits of the suspicious area are therefore delineated at the beginning of the procedure under NBI light and then, resection is completed under normal white light [7]. We would like to present a preliminary report of a modified TLV technique that we have devised in order to perform several transoral procedures under the direct and continuous guidance of NBI. …