Caracterización de estructuras anatómicas de la laringe por ultrasonografía / Characterization of anatomical structures of the larynx by ultrasonography

La laringe es un órgano impar situado en la línea mediana del cuello, compuesto por cartílagos, músculos y ligamentos. La TC y la RM se realizan como técnicas de imagen de primera elección en el estudio de la laringe, no obstante, no están exentas de limitaciones. La ecografía es un método accesible, de alta resolución y presenta una relativa buena visualización de las diferentes estructuras de la laringe. El objetivo del trabajo fue determinar las características de estructuras anatómicas de la laringe identificables ecográficamente. En este trabajo de carácter observacional descriptivo de corte transversal prospectivo se estudiaron 20 pacientes, sin patología laríngea con edades entre 20 y 35 años, ambos sexos. Se realizó ecografía laríngea utilizando transductor ecográfico Phillips® con sonda lineal de 4 a 12 MHz, preset de partes blandas.En todos los casos se pudo identificar y medir los cartílagos tiroides, cricoides y epiglotis; y en gran porcentaje de estos las cuerdas vocales, bandas ventriculares y comisura anterior. El cartílago aritenoides solo fue visible en un 85% de los casos.La ecografía se presenta como un método auxiliar útil en el estudio de la anatomía de la laringe, proponiendo el seguimiento y realización de estudios ulteriores que puedan complementar este estudio y su validez.

The larynx is an odd organ located in the midline of the neck, composed of cartilage, muscles and ligaments. CT and MRI are performed as first-choice imaging techniques in the larynx study; however, they are not without limitations. Ultrasound is an accessible, high-resolution method with a relatively good visualization of the different structures of the larynx. The objective of the work was to determine the characteristics of ultrasoundly identifiable larynx anatomical structures.In this prospective cross-sectional descriptive observational work, 20 patients were studied, without laryngeal pathology aged between 20 and 35 years, both sexes. Laryngeal ultrasound was performed using Phillips® ultrasound transducer with linear probe from 4 to 12 MHz, soft parts presetThyroid cartilage, cricoids and epiglotis could be identified and measured in all cases, and in a large percentage of these the vocal cords, ventricular bands and anterior corner. Aritenoid cartilage was only visible in 85% of cases.Ultrasound is presented as a useful auxiliary method in the study of the anatomy of the larynx, proposing the follow-up and conduct of further studies that may complement this study and its validity

Study of normal anatomy of post-cricoid region of the pharynx and cervical oesophagus by CT and MR imaging

This study aimed to define the normal position of the oesophagus and the appearance of the postcricoid region, oesophageal verge and upper oesophageal region at CT and MR imaging. It was conducted on 55 consecutive [CT] scans of the neck individual patients [30 males and 25 females] with age range 18 - 65 years. MR images were in the transverse plane with TI pulse sequence. Patients who have dysphagia, clinical or imaging finding suggestive of pharyngeal or oesophageal abnormalities or history and signs of head or neck malignancy were excluded. The location of the oesophagus and the appearance of the postcricoid region. oesophageal verge, upper oesophageal region and the visiblity of the fat planes at CT and MR imaging were determined. The oesophagas was located centrally in 49 cases [89.1%] at CT versus 40 cases [77.7%] at MR imaging, at the oesophageal verge. Just below the oesophageal verge, the oesophagas typically coursed to the left side in all cases except in 4 cases [7.3%] at both CT and MR imaging, where it is shifted to the right. The entire thickness of the museular wall in the postcrtcoid region varied little through its cephalocouldal extent, but at the oesophageal verge, there was an a brupt change, then the cervical oesophagus showed little change at 1 cm and 2 cm below the oesophageal verge. The visibility of the intramural fat planes is diminished caudaly in the postcricoid region with slightly higher rate in CT than in MRI. Also, the fat planes around the postericoid region were visible more frequent on both right and left sides than the posterior one, and more frequent on the CT scans than MRI, while fat planes around the cervical oesophagus were visible at a similar frequency in both CT and scans than MRI, while fat planes around the cervical oesophagus were visible at a similar frequency in both CT ad MRI, but also the posterior fat planes were the less frequent. Small or submucosal infiltrating tumors might be missed with fluroscopy and/or endoscop, with biopsy. So, only CT and /or MR imaging might enable the diagnosis of such a mass while it is still at a curable stage