09-09, 14:00–15:00 (Europe/Istanbul), Phoniatrics 1
<u>Background/Objectives:</u> Narrow Band Imaging (NBI) endoscopy is a relatively novel optical biological endoscopic method that enables improved visualization of microvascular patterns and thus, earlier detection of vocal cord cancer. The purpose of this instructional course is to present the diagnostic value of NBI and compare the most commonly used classifications of microvascular patterns.
<u>Methods:</u> The literature was reviewed and our own clinical experience in the use of NBI and enhanced contact endoscopy using NBI were incorporated with an emphasis on Ni's classification and the classification of the European Laryngology Society (ELS) and Puxeddu’s classification.
<u>Results:</u> NBI allows for the precise visualization of mucosal and submucosal vessels and the detection of pathological microvascular patterns associated with malignant transformation. Ni's classification offers a detailed, but complex classification that requires a high level of training. The ELS classification is simpler, based on the dichotomous division of vascular changes into longitudinal and perpendicular ones, allowing for the effective and straightforward differentiation between benign and malignant changes as well as rapid learning. Puxeddu’s classification is intended for use with contact endoscopes coupled to NBI device and high-resolution monitors. Although complex, it provides highly informative clinical data.
<u>Conclusions:</u> NBI is a non-invasive, swift, reliable endoscopic method for the early detection of vocal cord cancer. For optimal results, both profound understanding of microvascular patterns and two-step endoscopic diagnostic procedure are of paramount importance.
Mette Pedersen, MD, PhD, ear-nose-throat (ENT) specialist and clinical researcher with more than four decades of experience in otolaryngology and voice medicine. My work has focused on advanced diagnostics of voice disorders, combining objective voice measurement, imaging technologies, and evidence-based clinical practice to improve assessment and treatment of both speaking and singing voices.I graduated in medicine from the University of Copenhagen and became a certified ENT specialist in Denmark in 1975. In 1997, I completed my PhD at Gentofte University Hospital in collaboration with Oulu University, Finland, focusing on the biological development of the normal voice during puberty. My early work on adolescent voice change, including a multivariate statistical analysis of puberty-related voice phenomena in choir boys, remains a foundational contribution to the field (Pedersen et al., Folia Phoniatrica 1985;37(5–6):271–278. doi:10.1159/000265808).
Clinically, I have worked primarily in Copenhagen, maintaining long-term ENT and phoniatric practices and establishing one of the first specialized agreements with the Copenhagen healthcare system for stroboscopic and advanced instrumental voice diagnostics. In parallel, I served as a consultant laryngologist for major hospitals and for the Copenhagen school system, integrating objective voice measures into routine assessment of pediatric and adolescent voice disorders.
My academic work spans evidence-based normative voice standards, advanced imaging, and voice-related biomarkers. I am the author of Normal Development of Voice in Children: Advances in Evidence-Based Standards (Springer, 2008/2024), widely cited for its integration of acoustic, physiological, and developmental data. Most recently, I co-edited the Springer volume Voice-Related Biomarkers, which brings together international clinical and scientific expertise on acoustic, physiological, perceptual, and imaging-based biomarkers for voice assessment, with a particular focus on clinical applicability and translational relevance. I have also contributed key studies on imaging-based biomarkers, including protocols for optical coherence tomography (OCT) in laryngeal tissue evaluation. I have authored and co-authored more than 150 peer-reviewed publications and book chapters and have organized international symposia, including serving as President of the Seventh World Voice Consortium Congress. My current work focuses on integrating clinical voice medicine with high-resolution imaging and machine learning to support objective, reproducible voice diagnostics.
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