Laryngoscopy
Laryngoscopy is an exam of the voice box (larynx). It can be done using a small mirror held just below the back of your palate, or a rigid or flexible viewing tube called a laryngoscope placed in your mouth or via the nose.
In some cases, you may need anesthesia.
A laryngoscope is a rigid tubular device used to view the larynx.
The larynx starts in the oropharynx, or back of the throat, and extends down to the trachea. It carries air from the mouth and nose to the trachea, and then to the lungs.
References
King EF. History, physical examination, and the preoperative evaluation. In: Flint PW, Francis HW, Haughey BH, et al, eds. Cummings Otolaryngology: Head and Neck Surgery. 7th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2021:chap 4.
Reid PT, Innes JA. Respiratory medicine. In: Ralston SH, Penman ID, Strachan MWJ, Hobson RP, eds. Davidson's Principles and Practice of Medicine. 23rd ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2018:chap 17.
Version Info
Last reviewed on: 8/31/2021
Reviewed by: Josef Shargorodsky, MD, MPH, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.
