Value of flexible videolaryngoscopy in the study of laryngeal morphology and functions

In the past 3 years flexible laryngoscopy was used in the evaluation of 315 patients, ranging in age from 4 months to 86 years (in 136 cases a videorecording was obtained). The technique was especially helpful in cases in which a prolonged visual evaluation of laryngeal motion was required for diagnostic, prognostic, and documentative purposes. The main limitations were lack of image definition and wide angle image distortion. Therefore, accurate evaluation of initial mucosal changes was not possible in some of the cases examined. A stroboscopic light source was used every time the characteristics of the vibratory cycle of the vocal folds had to be studied. This technique was applied mainly to the study of vocal fold vibrations in unilateral laryngeal paralysis.