2012 Volume 53 Issue 2 Pages 122-128
Singers often do not show any noticeable vocal problem during ordinary voice evaluations at an ENT clinic, mainly because the tests administered are usually performed to evaluate simple and easy phonation. Singers, however, in general use their voice under more effortful conditions during their performances, and therefore more appropriate methods are necessary for evaluating the singing voice of singers. The present paper proposes the use of two types of voice-map for clinical evaluation of a singing voice. In addition, a videoendoscopic surgical technique using a newly designed knife is introduced. The first voice-map is Voice-Map E-L, comparing flow rate during phonation as an indication of expiratory function with voice pitch as an indication of the pattern of laryngeal control. The second is Voice-Map L-V, comparing the estimated vocal tract configuration with laryngeal control in terms of degree of glottal closure estimated by electroglottography (EGG). The use of these two maps appeared to be effective for obtaining an objective evaluation of singers’ vocal abilities. The second part of the paper describes a videoendoscopic surgery technique using a newly designed surgical knife and its usefulness for day surgery to treat small benign lesions of the vocal fold.
