Evaluation of the Diagnostic Efficacy of Fibreoptic Nasopharyngolaryngoscopy in a Tertiary Care Hospital

Introduction: Fiber optic nasopahryngolaryngoscopy is a visual examination of the larynx and surrounding organs. It is an excellent method for determining the reasons for laryngeal problems, voice change, throat discomfort, and swallowing difficulties, and therefore, this should be utilized consistently in all ENT clinics. This study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic effectiveness of flexible fibreoptic nasopharyngolaryngoscopy as a diagnosis tool for ENT diseases. Methods: This was a retrospective study conducted in the Department of Otolaryngology (ENT), Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University, Dhaka, Bangladesh, from January 2024 to June 2024. We included 100 patients irrespective of gender who underwent Fibreoptic Nasopharyngolaryngoscopy at our institution. Result: The mean age of our patients was 37.39±18.92 years. Most of our study patients (58%) were male and 42% were female. The most common presenting symptom was a change in voice (86%), followed by a burning sensation in the throat (6%), hoarseness of voice (4%), FB sensation (2%), and thyroid swelling (2%). The vocal cord nodules were the most common condition, affecting 50% of patients followed by the left vocal cord polyps (10%), and laryngitis (12%). Most of the patients (48%) were advised for conservative treatment & speech therapy. Conclusion: In our study, we found that fibreoptic nasopharyngolaryngoscopy is a beneficial diagnostic procedure for individuals experiencing symptoms related to the larynx. This process allows for a wide range of applications and may be carried out under local anesthesia in an outpatient department (OPD) setting.