Anatomical landmarks for endosonography of the larynx

✍ Scribed by Marcel Kraft; Susanne Mende; André Arnoux; Christoph Arens

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 2009
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 228 KB
• Volume: 32
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 1043-3074
• DOI: 10.1002/hed.21182

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

Background

A precise knowledge of anatomy is necessary to allow a correct interpretation of sonographic images when investigating a particular region of the body. The objective of the present study was to establish anatomical landmarks for endosonography of the larynx.

Methods

In an experimental study, a total of 32 normal human larynges were examined endosonographically, and the classical landmarks were correlated to horizontal whole‐organ sections of the scanned specimens.

Results

All laryngeal specimens showed a similar and reproducible sonoanatomy, which could be verified consistently on corresponding histological cross sections. Anatomical structures readily identified included the laryngeal framework, the vocal ligament, the vocal muscle, the ventricular fold, the preepiglottic and paraglottic space, and the epiglottis.

Conclusions

Due to a reproducible sonoanatomy of the larynx, endosonography might be an interesting complementary tool in the diagnostic investigation of laryngeal lesions such as medium‐sized tumors, cysts, laryngoceles, and stenoses. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck, 2010