Optical microscopy of the pediatric vocal fold

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Optics
• Pediatric Otolaryngology
• Microscopy

Background:

• The developing microstructure of the pediatric vocal fold is crucial for voice production.
• Accurate in vivo imaging of this microstructure is essential for diagnosing and managing pediatric voice disorders.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare four optical imaging techniques: optical frequency domain imaging (OFDI), angle-resolved OFDI (AR-OFDI), spectrally encoded confocal microscopy (SECM), and full-field optical coherence microscopy (FF-OCM).
• To determine the optimal strategy for in vivo imaging of the pediatric vocal fold microstructure.

Main Methods:

• A prospective study involving 6 laryngeal specimens (5 pediatric, 1 young adult).
• Sequential noninvasive optical imaging using OFDI, AR-OFDI, SECM, and FF-OCM.
• Histopathologic analysis of the same specimens for correlation.

Main Results:

• OFDI and AR-OFDI provided global microstructure assessment but lacked cellular detail.
• FF-OCM offered improved cellular detail but had slow image acquisition.
• SECM demonstrated good cellular and subcellular detail with a faster acquisition rate.

Conclusions:

• OFDI and SECM are promising complementary techniques for in vivo imaging of the pediatric vocal fold.
• SECM, particularly with a developed handheld probe, shows significant potential for clinical evaluation of vocal fold microstructure.