Abstract:Objective To explore the value of biopsy under narrow-band imaging (NBI) in the early diagnosis of tonsillar cancer.Methods From February 2013 to February 2019, 120 patients with tonsillar hypertrophy (including 80 patients with grade II hypertrophy and 40 patients with grade III hypertrophy, all of them were unilateral lesions): 60 patients underwent narrow-band imaging endoscopic biopsy; the other 60 patients underwent routine biopsy. 100 patients with early tonsillar carcinoma (all unilateral lesions): 50 cases underwent narrow-band imaging endoscopic biopsy; the other 50 cases underwent routine biopsy. All the 220 cases were confirmed by pathology. The sensitivity, specificity, diagnostic accuracy, Youden index, positive predictive value and negative predictive value of the two methods were compared.Results The basic characteristics of NBI biopsy and routine biopsy were as follows: the sensitivity was 98.00%, 84.00%; the specificity was 100.00%, 100.00%; the diagnostic coincidence rate was 99.09% and 92.73%; the Youden index was 98.00% and 84.00% respectively. The positive predictive value score of NBI biopsy and routine biopsy was 100.00%, 100.00%; the negative predictive value of NBI biopsy and routine biopsy was 98.36% and 88.24%. There was significant difference between the two methods in the diagnosis of early tonsillar carcinoma ( 2 = 5.98, P = 0.016).Conclusion Narrow band imaging endoscopic biopsy has high sensitivity, specificity and negative predictive value for the early diagnosis of tonsil cancer. It has the advantages of fast and accurate, and can be used for screening and early diagnosis of tonsillar cancer.