Laryngostroboscopic Screening in Asymptomatic Adults Undergoing Prosthetic Rehabilitation: A Prospective...

Background and Objectives: Laryngostroboscopy is considered the gold standard for the functional assessment of vocal fold vibration and enables the detection of subtle structural and vibratory abnormalities that may not be apparent during routine examination. In interdisciplinary research involving speech analysis and prosthetic rehabilitation, exclusion of underlying laryngeal pathology is methodologically important. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the diagnostic findings obtained through laryngostroboscopic screening in asymptomatic Bulgarian adults examined within a broader research project on speech function and prosthetic rehabilitation. Materials and Methods: A prospective observational study was conducted between April 2022 and July 2023 at the Medical University-Varna, Bulgaria. Eighty adults without self-reported voice-related symptoms underwent laryngostroboscopic examination using an ATMOS Strobo 21 LED system (Advanced Technology Medical Systems GmbH, Lenzkirch, Germany). Participants were assessed for structural and functional laryngeal abnormalities, including alterations in movement frequency, oscillation amplitude, phase symmetry, and visible pathological changes. Descriptive statistics and chi-square tests and Fisher's exact test analyses were used to evaluate possible associations between laryngeal pathology and demographic variables. Results: Normal laryngeal status was observed in 64 participants (80.0%), whereas 16 (20.0%) showed laryngostroboscopic findings. Isolated vibratory deviations were recorded separately and were not automatically classified as laryngeal pathology. Minor structural or functional variations were found in 5 participants (6.3%), functional laryngeal disorders in 6 (7.5%), benign lesions in 1 (1.3%), and diffuse inflammatory changes consistent with laryngitis in 4 (5.0%). Deviations in vibratory parameters were identified in 25 participants (31.3%) for movement frequency, 16 (20.0%) for oscillation amplitude, and 22 (27.5%) for phase synchronization. No statistically significant associations were found between laryngeal pathology and gender or age group (p > 0.05). Conclusions: Laryngostroboscopic examination identified structural and functional laryngeal findings in a proportion of asymptomatic adults recruited within a speech-function research framework. Functional vibratory deviations were observed more frequently than overt structural pathology. These findings demonstrate that previously unrecognized laryngeal abnormalities may be present even in individuals without apparent voice-related complaints. Further studies incorporating speech-function outcomes and larger cohorts are required to clarify the clinical significance of these observations.