The diagnostic value of narrow-band imaging for the detection of nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

Objectives: To evaluate the diagnostic value of narrow-band imaging (NBI) for the detection of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC).

Study Design: Prospective study.

Setting: Tertiary medical center.

Subjects And Methods: Between December 2009 and June 2010, a total of 1,854 patients were examined by means of an electronic nasopharyngolaryngoscope equipped with conventional white light (WL) and an NBI system. The sensitivity, specificity and positive/negative predictive values for detecting NPC were calculated and compared.

Results: Of these patients, 62 cases (3.34%) were pathologically confirmed as NPC. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value for detecting NPC significantly increased from 90.3, 75.4, 11.3 and 99.6% with WL up to 100, 99.2, 81.6 and 100% with NBI, respectively.

Conclusion: Our findings suggested that NBI endoscopy might serve as an ideal tool in the detection of NPC.