In today's world of rapid technological advances, the medical field is developing at a rapid speed. Various sophisticated tools are available for the diagnostic work-up of patients with voice disorders. These are stroboscopy, optical coherence tomography (OCT), contact endoscopy and laryngeal USG, which gives sophisticated details of the larynx. However, at present most of these modalities are expensive and available only at few research centers. Rigid laryngoscopy is a noninvasive, easily available and fairly accurate diagnostic tool in patients with voice disorders.

The aim of our study was to assess the diagnostic potential of rigid laryngoscopy in different laryngeal lesions and its correlation with histopathology. This is a one year retrospective study at our voice clinic at Bombay Hospital, Mumbai.

We examined 720 patients at our voice clinic from January 2008 to December 2008. Microlaryngeal surgery was performed on 59 of these. The clinical diagnosis was made after detailed history taking and clinical examination by a 70 degree Hopkins rod telescope.

In our study, clinical diagnosis was 100% accurate in vocal fold subepithelial cyst, vocal fold nodules, laryngeal papilloma and contact granuloma. The clinical diagnosis had a reliability of 30% for Vocal fold polyps, 50% for leukoplakia, and 66% for malignant lesion. In suspected laryngeal polyps, leukoplakia and malignancy, our study indicates that we need to excise the lesion surgically and prove the histopathology.

Every tissue removed during laryngeal surgery should be sent for histopathology. Rigid Laryngoscopy is a safe and accurate tool to diagnose nodules and cysts.