The current standard procedure to ensure the diagnosis, if tissue is malignant, is still an invasive one. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is a new non-invasive method to investigate biological tissue. In this study, OCT was used on porcine and on human vocal folds. The optical penetration depth of the used radiation is up to 2 mm. Three different OCT application systems were used. The first is a high-resolution OCT, which works in contact mode. It was used to examine porcine vocal folds ex vivo. Porcine vocal folds were assigned to defined areas and examined by OCT in contact mode followed by traditional histo-morphological analysis. The second OCT is fiber based. It also works in contact mode. Images of human vocal folds were done in contact mode. They were compared with a typical histo-morphological image of a human vocal fold. The third application system works in non-contact to the tissue. It was integrated in a conventional laryngoscope. Human vocal folds were examined in vivo. Single layers of the vocal folds could be distinguished from each other with all used systems. Pathological alterations could be seen. Imaging is possible in real time. General anesthesia is not necessary. OCT makes it possible to get a view under the surface of the vocal fold without being invasive.