There are generally four components included in the full diagnosis of a<unk> : a medical and voice history, a head and neck exam, a perceptual assessment of the voice and imaging of the<unk>  folds. A medical and voice history can help distinguish patterns of misuse and phonotrauma to assist in diagnosis. The primary perceptual sign of<unk>  fold cysts is hoarseness of the voice. Diagnosis through perceptual means alone is difficult, therefore in the fourth component of diagnosis the patient often undergoes an imaging procedure. Imaging is most commonly done with laryngeal videostroboscopy. A videostroboscopy is an examination of the<unk>  folds using flashes of light to slow down the image of the<unk>  fold movement enough to provide a sharp picture of the phases of the movement cycle (mucosal wave.) This procedure provides information about<unk>  fold vibrations during speech,<unk>  intensity and<unk>  frequency. Imaging shows the reduced movement of the<unk>  folds (mucosal wave) when a<unk>  fold cyst is present. Further, videostroboscopy tends to show increased submucosal swelling in the affected areas of the<unk>  fold(s) More recently, other technologies have been introduced to assist with obtaining imaging of the<unk>  folds, including the use of Narrow-band imaging (NBI.) Narrow-band imaging involves the use of blue and yellow lights to improve the picture quality of an image and accentuate blood vessel visibility. NBI has been found to help improve visual identification of<unk>  fold cysts in some cases.<unk>  fold cysts can be differentiated from other<unk>  fold growths as they are usually unilateral. The two types of<unk>  fold cysts (sub-epithelial and ligament cysts) can be differentiated by colour, size and location. (See section on Types of<unk> s for more information.) If the<unk>  fold cyst(s) are presumed to be congenital, the patient should have a history of presenting with a hoarse voice. Patients with<unk>  fold cysts are considered for surgery when presenting with: * Dysphonia * Lack of improvement through voice therapy
Vocal cord cyst
Thyroglossal cyst
Branchial cleft cyst
Choroid plexus cyst
Laryngeal cyst
Choroid plexus papilloma
Nasopharyngeal cyst
Vocal cord hemorrhage