Fiber­endoscopy

A healthy voice is immensely important, this is best understood by those who have never had it or have lost it during their lives. Like the rest of the human body, during aging, the vocal cords wear out , so it is extremely important to preserve them throughout life and to have regular control in the form of vocal cord examinations.

One of the ways to get a detailed insight into the condition of our vocal cords is fiberendoscopy of the vocal cords.

Fiberendoscopy is an integral part of the otorhinolaryngological examination. It is a painless and non-invasive diagnostic method that allows a detailed examination of the nasal passages, epipharynx and lower parts of the pharynx, larynx and vocal cords.

Fiberendoscopy is an examination of the vocal cords through a thin, flexible tube with a light source with which the internal organs of the upper respiratory tract are observed through the nasal cavity.

It is a simple test performed by a specialist doctor – otorhinolaryngologist. It can be performed on its own or as part of a comprehensive ENT examination.

The examination takes a few minutes and is painless and minimally unpleasant. It does not require any special preparation, but your cooperation is certainly needed when performing the test.

Upon arrival at the LF Polyclinic, our doctor will instruct you in the fiberendoscopy procedure so that the examination goes as comfortably as possible.

Your doctor will first ask you about the symptoms you are experiencing. It is important to honestly answer questions about the nature and duration of symptoms. It is also necessary to mention if you are a smoker and consume alcohol because these factors can affect the development of diseases of the throat and vocal cords.

If your profession requires a lot of talking, i.e. intensive use of the vocal cords (e.g. teachers, singers), be sure to emphasize this during the examination so that our professional staff can gain a comprehensive insight into your health picture.

During fiberendoscopy of the vocal cords, those parts of the throat, pharynx and nasal cavity that are otherwise difficult to see during a classic clinical examination are examined through the nasal cavity. For this purpose, a flexible endoscope, the so-called fiberendoscope, is used.

A fiberendoscope is a flexible, thin tube that has a camera on it that transmits the image to a digital screen and a light source for better visibility. Our doctor will examine the condition of the larynx and vocal cords in detail to determine if there is any damage to the mucous membranes, growths on the vocal cords or similar changes.

At the LF Polyclinic, we have gathered top experts and subspecialists and use the most modern tests and tests to diagnose diseases of the vocal cords.

Our expert team consists of: dr. sc. Boris Filipović, MD, PhD – otolaryngologist, subspecialist in plastic surgery of the head and neck; dr.sc. Peter Lohuis, MD, PhD – otorhinolaryngologist, subspecialist in plastic surgery of the head and neck, somnologist and dr.sc.Sandra Baranović otorhinolaryngologist, subspecialist in plastic surgery of the head and neck.

You can make an appointment very easily by calling +3851 2444646 or via the online form on our website.

The vocal cords are made up of musculo-connective tissue covered with mucous membranes. Under the action of current and air pressure from the trachea, they vibrate and thus participate in the formation of the voice.

To produce the voice, several organs are used, which together form the phonation apparatus. A phonic apparatus consists of organs that are directly involved in the production of the voice and organs that participate in the creation and maintenance of the voice.

The larynx, nasal and oral cavities, pharynx, breathing muscles, the entire respiratory system and the bone structures of the chest, spine and pelvis are involved in the direct production of the voice.

The vibration of the vocal cords and the production of the voice occur thanks to a complex mechanism and depend on the structure of these structures.

The vocal cords themselves are quite sensitive and exposed to various external factors. Stress, smoking, immoderate alcohol consumption, dust, and excessive use of the voice can lead to voice disorders.

Voice disorder is any factor that impairs the ability to communicate with the voice or makes the use of the voice uncomfortable.

The main disorder of the voice is hoarseness, known in the medical profession under the professional name of dysphonia.

Weakening, cracking or complete loss of voice can occur at any age, but hoarseness is especially common in school-age children.

According to statistics, hoarseness occurs in as many as 50 to 60% of children.

It is especially necessary to pay attention to changes in the voice in children and to take care of the timely performance of preventive examination of the vocal cords, fiberendoscopy.

The advantage is fiberendoscopy of the vocal cords, which is minimally uncomfortable , so it is also suitable for children. The examination is simple and painless and is recommended at any age.

Hoarseness or dysphonia is any deviation from the usual pitch, quality and intensity of the voice. It occurs as a symptom in more than 50 different diseases, so this sign of problems with the vocal cords should definitely not be taken lightly.

Hoarseness can occur in acute form as a transient health problem, or it can be a chronic condition that lasts for weeks, months, even years.

The most important diagnostic method of examination for hoarseness is flexible fiberendoscopy of the vocal cords.

Fiberendoscopy is the “gold standard” for examining the vocal cords because, in addition to visualizing the larynx and vocal cords, it allows the examination of the accompanying organs for voice production; the nasal pharynx and nasal cavity.

Fiberendoscopy of the vocal cords makes it possible to determine the cause of voice disorders, i.e. hoarseness.

During the examination, the otorhinolaryngologist can see if there is inflammation of the vocal cords, inflammation of the larynx, tumor on the vocal cords and injuries to the nerves that move the vocal cords.

The most common cause of hoarseness in adults is chronic inflammation of the mucous membrane of the larynx, professionally called chronic laryngitis. Laryngitis occurs with prolonged irritation of the larynx by environmental factors.

Common causes are exposure to cigarette smoke, polluted air, dust, chemicals and gases, and can also occur during professional use of the voice (e.g. by opera singers or teachers).

Chronic laryngitis occurs more often in men than in women, and in most cases it is a benign disease that is successfully treated provided that it is detected in time.

With chronic mechanical irritation of the vocal cords or as a result of chronic inflammation, polyps on the vocal cords can occur. These are mostly benign formations that rarely turn into a malignant form and occur more often in older men.

Vocal nodules, i.e. the appearance of protrusions on the free edge of the vocal cords, occur in people who are professionally engaged in singing and in people who normally talk a lot, but use their voice incorrectly.

In adults, they do not require surgical removal, but they can occur in children aged 5 to 12 years and cause difficult-to-treat hoarseness in adulthood.

Papillomas are growths on the vocal cords caused by viruses, mostly benign formations. The difficulty with papillomas is that they are often prone to recurrence after removal.

A common cause of hoarseness is the thickening of the vocal cord structures above the larynx, that is, hypertrophy of the ventricular folds.

This voice disorder occurs mostly due to various changes in the larynx, organic or functional. Thickening of the vocal cords can be due to a cyst, laryngocele or tumor on the larynx.

Most of the changes in the vocal cords are benign formations.

Tumor formations on the larynx occur somewhat less frequently, but more than 80% are malignant. For this reason, it is extremely important to react in time to any voice changes.

Fiberendoscopy of the vocal cords is a test that is recommended for men and women of all ages. Timely diagnosis of potentially malignant formations on the vocal cords and larynx is easily made with this painless and simple examination.

In children, as well as in adults, hoarseness is often caused by chronic inflammation of the mucous membrane of the larynx, vocal nodules and papillomas. In addition to the aforementioned voice disorders, the occurrence of other, specific voice disorders in childhood is possible.

Hyperkinetic dysphonia is hoarseness caused by long-term, misuse of the voice. It occurs in children aged 6 years and between 9 and 11 years of age, more often in male children.

It occurs due to shouting, speaking too loudly, excessive clearing of the throat or coughing. In this disorder, the voice sounds dull, hoarse, noisy, of variable intensity.

Psychogenic dysphonia occurs in girls in the period of prepuberty and puberty. It can occur as a result of a sudden stressful event or for no apparent reason. It is manifested by a change in the voice without organic changes in the vocal cords.

Voice disorders in puberty most often occur in male children, and are manifested by the absence of a change from a child’s voice to a male one. A common cause is insufficient development of the larynx due to disorders in the secretion of hormones.

Various nasality disorders can also occur, i.e. difficulties in pronunciation during which the voices have nasal overtones. Nasality disorders often occur due to enlargement of the tonsils, which are successfully detected during fiberendoscopy.

Given that prolonged hoarseness in children can lead to chronic hoarseness in adulthood, prevention and timely detection of vocal cord diseases are extremely important.