Videostroboscopy

About This Test

At Franciscan Health, our speech therapists use videostroboscopy to accurately diagnose voice and speech disorders. Videostroboscopy is a simple test that we perform in our offices. It only takes a few minutes to complete the test.

What is a videostroboscopy?

A videostroboscopy exam is an outpatient procedure performed by one of our licensed speech-language pathologists. The test allows us to watch how your vocal chords perform and vibrate while you speak and sing.

How it works:

• We place a rigid scope in the back of the mouth, or we may insert a flexible scope through the nose down to the vocal cords.
• We use a strobe light to make the vocal cords appear to vibrate in slow motion. This lets us see any abnormal vibration patterns.

Who needs videostroboscopy?

Our specially trained speech therapists can figure out the cause of your vocal disorder and develop a treatment plan.

Talk with your doctor if you are experiencing:

• Chronic hoarseness
• Difficulty projecting your voice
• Routine loss of voice with normal use

Vocal chords can swell due to heavy use, irritation or polyps and other growths. Other causes of speech and singing problems may include:

• Paralysis or bowing of the vocal chords
• Muscle tension
• Spasms
• Acid reflux

Learn more about speech therapy services

We offer a variety of treatments for speech and vocal disorders. Find out more about our speech therapy services.