Methods of voice organ examination

In the introduction the importance and the role have been presented of the pathophysiology of the voice organ in human communication and the exchange of information. Prophylactics and prevention, diagnostics and the course of treatment in communication disorders have been a challenge for otolaryngology and derived specializations (phoniatrics and audiology) in the 21st century. As far as the methodology of voice organ examination is concerned the „state of the art” has been described. Special attention has been paid to the clinical use of the methods mentioned. The methods have been divided into those employed in routine examinations, complementary ones recommended in selected cases, and methods seldom used in clinical practice, which are most frequently employed in clinical and laboratory experiments. The latter were mentioned due to their possible use in clinical practice in the near future. Emphasis has been placed on the development of larynx stroboscopic examination, to which the examination has been introduced of quantitative parameters referred to the measurements of glottis space and the lengths, widths and symmetry of the vocal folds. The increasing role of the acoustic examinations in the diagnostics of voice disorders has been stressed, which supplement the clinical picture and are used in voice screening examinations that may be employed in the early diagnosis of organic changes in the larynx. Nowadays a complex model of voice organ examination is preferred, which combines clinical phoniatric and acoustic examinations, as well as the data from history and self-evaluation of the individuals with voice disorders. The standardization of complex methods would lead to the compatibility of examination results received in different medical centers dealing with voice pathophysiology.