Nasoendoscopy
Endoscopic examination
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In speech pathology and medicine, nasoendoscopy is the endoscopic examination of the velopharynx, or the nose, often with a CCD camera or a fiber optic camera on a flexible tube passed through the nostril. It can provide information to evaluate speech and velopharyngeal function or dysfunction, as in diseases such as sinonasal carcinomas.[1][2]
| Nasoendoscopy | |
|---|---|
| Purpose | exam of the nose |
Procedure
Indications
After removal of nasal packing following epistaxis, routine nasoendoscopy is not necessarily indicated.[3] However, widely accepted indications for nasoendoscopy include:[4]
- abnormal speech characteristics: hypernasal resonance, excessive nasal airflow including nasal air escape and nasal turbulence (also called nasal rustle), and absence of or weak intra-oral air pressure for oral pressure consonants;
- limited progress with speech therapy to establish oral pressure sounds;
- difficulty maintaining intra-oral air pressure and velopharyngeal closure during speech;
- patient has known or suspected abnormality of palate or velopharynx; and,
- patient is being considered for pharyngoplasty, maxillary advancement or speech prosthesis.
Contraindications, complications, and safety
No absolute contraindications exist for nasoendoscopy; and, while the procedure is relatively safe, the exact risk of the procedure depends on the skill and experience of the endoscope operator.[5]