title: Systematic review of the diagnostic value of laryngeal stroboscopy in excluding early glottic carcinoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Laryngeal stroboscopy is an important diagnostic tool in the work-up of patients with phoniatric complaints. The aim of this article was to evaluate the diagnostic value of laryngeal stroboscopy in excluding glottic carcinoma in patients with suspected glottic carcinoma.
  
  
  METHODS
  PubMed, Embase and the Cochrane Library.
  
  
  METHODS
  A systematic literature search was performed in PubMed, Embase and the Cochrane Library. Studies reporting original study data were included. Studies were selected based on predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria and were consequently systematically assessed for their relevance and risk of bias. Studies with low relevance, high risk of bias or both were excluded from analysis. The prevalences, sensitivities, specificities and post-test probabilities of laryngeal stroboscopy for detecting glottic carcinoma were extracted or calculated with data supplied in the articles.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Seven studies, with high relevance and moderate risk of bias, were selected for data extraction. The baseline risk of glottic carcinoma was 25-49% in the included studies. Sensitivity ranged between 80% and 100% and specificity between 25% and 100%. Post-test probabilities of malignancy in case of an abnormal stroboscopy ranged between 35% and 100%. Post-test probabilities of malignancy in case of a normal stroboscopy ranged between 0% and 29%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A normal laryngeal stroboscopic result predicts the absence of invasive carcinoma. Laryngeal stroboscopy can therefore be suggested as a useful supplemental examination in the standard diagnostic work-up for all patients with suspected glottic carcinoma.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: van Balkum
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Buijs
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: E J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Donselaar
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: D C A
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Erkelens
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Goulin Lippi Fernandes
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands.|Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Wegner
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands.|Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Grolman
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: L M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Janssen
mesh_terms: D002277:Carcinoma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005931:Glottis; D006801:Humans; D007822:Laryngeal Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D049489:Stroboscopy