Parelkar, Kartik1; Marfatia, Hetal2
1 Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Seth G.S Medical College & King Edward Memorial Hospital, Mumbai, India;
2 Seth G.S Medical College & King Edward Memorial Hospital, Mumbai, India.
Background :
Endoscopic ear surgery has gained popularity all over the world because of the panoramic view it provides and also as it is minimally invasive and very cost-effective. Narrow Band Imaging (NBI) utilises a filter to allow narrow band light to penetrate tissues at different depths. NBI has been shown to improve visualisation of tissue based on varying degrees of vascularity.
Objective:
To investigate the appearances of middle ear anatomy and pathology under the NBI filter, using a high definition endoscopic system.
Materials & Methods:
This prospective study was carried out at a tertiary referral center (KEM Hospital), located in the heart of a densely populated city of Mumbai, which caters to a population of over 22 million! The hospital itself sees a out-patient load of around 5 lakh each year.
Our study included:
1.Patients with a variety of middle ear pathologies;
2. Patients who presented to our OPD for routine diagnostic ear examination;
3.Post-operative follow-up after ear surgery. All these patients underwent a high definition endoscopy under NBI filter.
Results:
There is a definite difference in how structures and disease in the middle ear appear under the NBI compared to the ordinary white light.
Conclusion:
NBI along-with endoscopy helps to assess the extent of disease, identify different vascular patterns in the middle ear and reduce chances of recurrence due to residual disease. It makes endoscopic evaluation more proficient and quicker, this is specially helpful in hospital set-ups in a developing country.