[High-speed digital imaging in the diagnosis of voice pathologies]

Technique of high-speed digital imaging (HSDI) is unique technique, allowing for assessment of real vocal fold vibrations.

The aim of the study is to present the usefulness of HSDI in the diagnosis of clinical type of dysphonia.

The study group was diagnosed at the Department of Clinical Phonoaudiology and Logopedics at the Medical University of Białystok and treated at the Phoniatric Clinic in years 2012-2015. HSDI technique with a digital camera was used for visualization of the larynx. The rigid endoscope with 90° optics was used for visualizing the vocal folds vibrations during phonation of "e" vowel, at the rate of 4000 frames per second. Playback of recorded sequence set at 15 frames per second, what allowed to assess vocal folds vibrations in slow motion mode during over 8 minutes. Mucosal wave (MW), glottal closure, symmetry, regularity and synchrony of vocal fold vibration were analyzed. Digital kymography (DKG) of the larynx was made for analyzing the value of the Open Quotient (OQ) in the assessment of degree of glottal insufficiency.

In the analyzed group of patients, the functional dysphonia was diagnosed in 71%, organic dysphonia in 29% patients. In 68%, glottal insufficiency was registered in the rear part at the glottis. The oedematous-hypertrophic changes were diagnosed in 21% of the cases, hypertrophic changes of larynx - in 6%, vocal fold polyps - in 3% and vocal fold nodules - in 2% of patients.

Examination of the larynx by using HSDI technique is quick, non-invasive to patient. HSDI allows to objective assessment of the degree of severity of insufficiency of glottal closure, what is confirmed by the objective values of the OQ. Evaluation of MW allows for the differentiation of clinical type and severity of organic dysphonia.