Testing Offered at the Voice Center
At NYU Langone’s Voice Center, our team of experts is dedicated to evaluating, diagnosing, and treating a wide range of conditions that affect swallowing and the sound and quality of your voice. These conditions include vocal cord nodules, muscle tension dysphonia, laryngitis, vocal cord polyps, spasmodic dysphonia, dysphagia, cricopharyngeal bar, Zenker’s diverticulum, vocal cord paralysis, and vocal cord cancer.
We offer a level of expertise not available anywhere else in the region.
For your convenience, we can often schedule and complete specialized diagnostic testing and treatments on the same day at our center.
Many voice-related disorders are related to voice use. A hoarse voice is a common symptom of a vocal cord disorder. If hoarseness persists beyond two weeks, we encourage you to make an appointment.
Here’s an overview of some of the most common diagnostic testing and treatments for conditions that affect the voice, breathing, or swallowing, and what you can expect.
Testing for Voice Disorders
At the Voice Center, we provide an individualized treatment plan based on the results of our advanced diagnostic testing for voice problems.
Stroboscopy
Stroboscopy is a way to examine the vibratory nature of the vocal cords. The technique uses a strobe light that is linked to the frequency of your voice. When you utter a tone, the light flashes at a frequency that is close to that of your voice.
The result is a set of images that mimic the vibration of the vocal cords. Doctors use this information to diagnose and evaluate the vocal cords for the presence of cancer, scar tissue, or stiffness, as well as muscle tone.
Laryngoscopy with a Stroboscope
Our doctors use a sophisticated diagnostic procedure called laryngoscopy with stroboscopy to examine the vibration of the vocal cords and assess voice conditions. This technique uses a laryngoscope, a device equipped with a light and camera, with a strobe light synchronized to the patient’s voice frequency. The strobe light flashes at a rate slightly out of sync with the voice, creating a series of slow-motion images that allow for detailed observation of the vocal cords’ vibratory patterns.
During the procedure, a flexible or rigid endoscope is used to visualize the vocal cords and surrounding structures. Flexible laryngoscopy involves inserting a thin, flexible tube through the nose, providing a comprehensive view of the larynx during various tasks such as speaking, singing, and swallowing. This method is particularly useful for evaluating dynamic vocal cord function. Rigid laryngoscopy, on the other hand, uses a rigid endoscope inserted through the mouth, offering high-resolution images.
The stroboscopic component of the procedure enhances the diagnostic capabilities by capturing slow-motion images of the vocal cords during sound production. These allow doctors to identify subtle abnormalities that may not be visible with other examination methods. This detailed visualization is crucial for diagnosing a wide range of voice disorders, including benign vocal cord lesions, scar tissue, and muscle tone abnormalities.
At the NYU Langone Voice Center, laryngoscopy with stroboscopy is an essential tool for evaluating patients with hoarseness and other symptoms affecting the voice. The procedure provides valuable insights into the underlying causes of these symptoms, enabling our specialists to develop precise and effective treatment plans tailored to each patient’s unique needs.
Voice Analysis
Hoarseness is often a complicated condition to evaluate because vocal changes can be very subtle. We use a series of tests to analyze your voice and help determine the cause. Typically, the evaluation involves a voice recording, which is then run through a series of computer programs that analyze the data. This analysis provides information on your vocal quality and ability and helps us determine the best way to help you get better.
Testing for Swallowing Disorders
Our team may use one of several methods to examine and evaluate your swallowing problem during a visit to the Voice Center.
To confirm a diagnosis of dysphagia, we use on-site testing methods that include the following:
- barium swallow study and videofluoroscopic swallow study, in which an X-ray is taken of the mouth, neck, and chest to evaluate abnormalities in the swallowing mechanism or digestive tract
- flexible endoscopic evaluation of swallowing, which uses a fiberoptic endoscope in the throat to visualize the actual swallow in progress
- transnasal esophagoscopy: the insertion of an endoscope through the nose to the stomach
If additional testing is needed, the doctors at NYU Langone’s Center for Esophageal Health can perform the following studies:
- esophageal manometry: the placement of a thin catheter into the esophagus to measure movement and pressures during swallowing
- pH testing, to evaluate patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease and laryngopharyngeal reflux disease by monitoring acid exposure within the esophagus and voice box
For more information about our testing options, please call 646-754-1207 or email VoiceCenter@NYULangone.org.