Abstract
Abstract
Background
Fibre-optic laryngoscopy is still widely used in daily clinical practice; however, high-definition laryngoscopy using narrow band imaging could be more reliable in characterising pharyngeal and laryngeal lesions.
Methods
Endoscopic videos were assessed in a tertiary referral hospital by 12 observers with different levels of clinical experience. Thirty pairs of high-definition laryngoscopy with narrow band imaging and fibre-optic laryngoscopy videos were judged twice, with an interval of two to four weeks, in a random order. Inter- and intra-observer reliability, sensitivity and specificity were calculated in terms of detecting a malignant lesion and a specific histological entity, for beginners, trained observers and experts.
Results
Using high-definition laryngoscopy with narrow band imaging, inter-observer reliability for detecting malignant lesions increased from moderate to substantial in trained observers and experts (high-definition laryngoscopy with narrow band imaging κ = 0.66 and κ = 0.77 vs fibre-optic laryngoscopy κ = 0.51 and κ = 0.56, for trained observers and experts respectively) and sensitivity increased by 16 per cent.
Conclusion
Inter-observer reliability increased with the level of clinical experience, especially when using high-definition laryngoscopy with narrow band imaging.
Publisher
Cambridge University Press (CUP)
Subject
Otorhinolaryngology,General Medicine