Introduction Benign vocal fold lesions (BVFLs) disrupt the superficial lamina propria, impacting vocal fold pliability. Investigating the diagnostic competency of ear, nose, and throat (ENT) residents in identifying BVFLs, we hypothesize that factors such as residency year, subspecialty focus, and training center influence diagnostic accuracy.

Objectives To assess the accuracy of diagnosis of BVFLs among ENT residents and to correlate diagnostic accuracy with the year of residency.

Methods An observational cross-sectional study included all ENT residents in Saudi Arabia. It was performed in August and September 2021 using a self-administered online questionnaire that assessed demographic variables and included three images with open-ended questions on diagnosing vocal fold lesions.

Results A total of 61 ENT residents (62.3% male) were included in this study. The images of vocal fold cyst, vocal fold polyp, and vocal fold nodule were correctly diagnosed by 60.7%, 88.5%, and 91.8% of residents, respectively. There was a correlation between the year of residency and the accuracy of diagnosing a vocal fold cyst (p = 0.029). Residents interested in laryngology correctly diagnosed all three lesions more frequently than other residents.

Conclusion The ability of residents to diagnose vocal fold cysts was moderate. In particular, the senior residents were able to diagnose polyps and nodules with excellent accuracy.

All procedures performed were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki Declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards. The Institutional Review Board of the College of Medicine, King Saud University, approved this study (number E-21-6071).

The informed consent form stated that participation was voluntary, that the data were collected for research purposes only, self-identifying information such as name, university number, and phone number would not be collected, and that confidentiality and privacy would be maintained during all the phases of the study.

Study conception, design and material preparation were performed by Sultan Bin Obaid, Mohammed M. Alessa, and Mohamed Farahat. Data collection was supervised by Sultan Bin Obaid and Khaled Alhussinan. Statistical analysis was performed by Mohammed M. Alessa. Writing of the first draft of the manuscript, managing the analyses of the study, and managing the literature searches was performed by Mohamed Alessa, Rakan Almetary, and Sultan Bin Obaid. All authors commented on previous versions of the manuscript. Review and editing were performed by Mohamed Farahat. All authors read and approved the final manuscript. The study was supervised by Mohamed Farahat.

Received: 09 December 2023

Accepted: 15 April 2024

Article published online:
05 July 2024

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