Flexible transnasal endoscopy with white light or narrow band imaging for the diagnosis of laryngeal malignancy: diagnostic value, observer variability and influence of previous laryngeal surgery

Purpose Flexible transnasal endoscopy is a common examination technique for the evaluation of laryngeal lesions, while the use of narrow band imaging (NBI) has been reported to enhance the diagnostic value of white light endoscopy (WLE). The purpose of this study is to assess observer variability and diagnostic value of both modalities and investigate the possible influence of previous laryngeal surgery on the detection rates of laryngeal malignancy.