Abstract
In recent years, there have been advances in endoscopic equipment, and endoscopy with narrow band imaging (NBI) has become useful for detecting hypopharyngeal cancer at an early stage. Among otolaryngologists, the use of endoscopic observation of the hypopharynx with the Valsalva maneuver has become widely spread, and the technique has been reported to offer a good perspective using a nasal endoscope while performing the Valsalva maneuver, allowing gastroenterologist to observe of a wide field, from the postcricoid hypopharynx to the posterior wall of the esophageal orifice. Recently, it has been reported that further examinations using a curved laryngoscope under general anesthesia allow the physician to obtain a wide perspective of the hypopharynx to the esophageal orifice. We herein report that this technique is useful for detecting hypopharyngeal cancer by combining the Valsalva maneuver with neck rotation.
