Light Up the Larynx

THE LARYNGOPHARYNGEAL area is usually overlooked in most physical examinations, and symptoms arising from it are generally appraised at arm's length. Patients with persistent pain or prolonged hoarseness are shuttled off to the otolaryngologist. In the usual run, however, the neck is palpated and the mouth looked into, but without further inspection, treatment becomes a guessing game, played with a prayer for a cure of a nameless disease.The current emphasis on the importance of early detection for successful management of malignant diseases is of particular significance in the laryngopharyngeal area. Tumors in this region hold promise of a high rate of cure if found and treated early. Conversely, the prognosis in the neglected growths is one of the worst.1 Also, some early lesions, particularly the supraglottic cancers, may grow silently in situ for long periods before producing symptoms. There is an urgency, therefore, to include an inspection of