Digital image processing of laryngeal lesions by electronic videoendoscopy.
OBJECTIVE
To present electronic videoendoscopy of the larynx with digital image processing and to discuss this endoscopic technique from the standpoint of diagnostic usefulness of laryngeal lesions.


METHODS
Electronic videoendoscopic evaluation of laryngeal lesions with digital image processing.


METHODS
Seventy patients underwent electronic videoendoscopy without digital image processing and, subsequently, with the digital image processing function. Of these, 15 patients with white lesion of the vocal fold and laryngeal neoplasms were assessed in the study. Clinical assessments made before enhancement of digital image processing function were compared with those after enhancement in 15 patients.


RESULTS
Of the 15 patients observed, the clinical diagnoses of two patients were changed after enhancement. Both patients underwent endolaryngeal microsurgery with histopathological examination of the removed lesions, which confirmed the definitive diagnosis. The clinical diagnoses of both patients after enhancement were compatible with histopathological diagnoses.


CONCLUSIONS
The enhanced color images provided by this system are superior in both quality and resolution to those obtained by conventional flexible fiberoptic endoscopy with a video camera. This system should be a valuable tool for the diagnosis of laryngeal lesions.
Kawaida
Masahiro
M
Department of Otolaryngology, Tokyo Metropolitan Ohtsuka Hospital, Japan.
Fukuda
Hiroyuki
H
Kohno
Naoyuki
N
D000368:Aged; D003116:Color; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004867:Equipment Design; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D007822:Laryngeal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D020704:Laryngoscopes; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014741:Video Recording