Objective: Image enhancement systems are important diagnostic tools in the detection of laryngeal pathologies. This study aimed to compare three different image enhancement systems: professional image enhancement technology, Image1 S and narrow-band imaging.
Method: Using the three systems, 100 patients with laryngeal lesions were investigated using a flexible and a 30° rigid endoscope. The lesions were diagnosed by three experts and classified using the Ni classification. The findings were compared.
Results: Lesions classified as 'benign' were histopathologically confirmed in 50 per cent of patients, malignant lesions were confirmed in 41 per cent and recurrent respiratory papillomatosis were confirmed in 9 per cent. There was no significant difference between the experts' assessments of each image enhancement system.
Conclusion: The three systems give comparable results in the detection of laryngeal lesions. With two additional systems, more users can perform image-enhanced endoscopy, resulting in a broadly available tool that can help to improve oncological assessment.
Keywords: Larynx; endoscopy; head and neck neoplasms; hypopharynx; neoplasm; pathology.