Role of videoendoscopy in assessment of pharyngeal function in oropharyngeal dysphagia: Comparison with videofluoroscopy and manometry

Abstract

Objective: The purpose of the current report is to evaluate the ability of videoendoscopic swallowing study in assessing pharyngeal propulsion and aspiration episodes when compared with videofluoroscopy and manometry. Study Design: Prospective study. Methods: Thirty-four patients with oropharyngeal dysphagia underwent videoendoscopy of swallowing to assess pharyngeal propulsion as pathologic or non-pathologic, and aspiration. These features were compared with those found on manometry and videofluoroscopy, which were considered as the reference examinations. Sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values of videoendoscopy were estimated, with their 95% confidence intervals. Results: A total agreement between videoendoscopy and videofluoroscopy was found in 76.4% of cases for pharyngeal propulsion and in 82.3% for aspiration. This rate for pharyngeal propulsion reached 82.3% between videoendoscopy and manometry. Moreover, in 24 cases (70.5%) in which videofluoroscopy and manometry agreed for pharyngeal propulsion, 22 were assessed similarly through fiberoscopy. When using fluoroscopy and manometry as reference examinations, videoendoscopy detected nearly 90% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.80, 1.0) of impaired pharyngeal propulsion. Concerning aspiration, 70% (95% CI = 0.54, 0.85) of events detected by videoendoscopy were also observed on videofluoroscopy. Sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values of videoendoscopy reached a higher rate (90% to 92.8%) when agreement was found between fluoroscopy and manometry. Conclusions: Videoendoscopy is an examination that can be used to detect inexpensively pharyngeal propulsion disorders and aspiration episodes. Laryngoscope, 108:1712–1716, 1998