ABSTRACT
Objective:To explore the characteristics of vocal cord polyps and to study the application value of high-frequency ultrasound in the diagnosis of vocal cord polyps.Methods:A total of 169 patients diagnosed with vocal cord polyps ( 176 polyps in total ) by pathology in the Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi′an Jiaotong University from December 2016 to September 2021 were collected, the ultrasonic image characteristics of vocal cord polyps were summarized, and the characteristics of thyroid cartilage calcification at glottic level and the influence of the calcification range of thyroid cartilage at glottic level on the display of vocal cord polyps were observed.Results:The sonogram images of all vocal cord polyps showed the localized uniform low echo between the upper cortex and the ligament layer, the morphology could be circular and flat, and all polyps could be divided into high tension type and low tension type, no blood flow signal was found in 96.8% of the polyps. Round polyps were more easier to be detected by ultrasound than flat polyps, but there was no significant difference( P>0.05). The incidence of thyroid cartilage calcification at glottis level was higher in men than in women, and the difference was statistically significant( P<0.05). The range of thyroid cartilage calcification at the glottic level affects the display rate of vocal cord polyps.With the increase of calcification range, the display rate of vocal cord polyps gradually decreased. There was significant difference in the display rate of vocal cord polyps between non calcification group and moderate calcification group, non calcification group and severe calcification group(all P<0.05). Conclusions:Vocal cord polyps have typical sonographic appearance. High-frequency ultrasound can identify the morphology, location and size of vocal cord polyps. Especially for patients with no or mild calcification of thyroid cartilage at glottic level, ultrasound can meet the requirements of accurate diagnosis. It is expected to become an effective supplement to laryngoscopy, and apply for to the preliminary screening of vocal cord polyps and postoperative review.
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS: The purpose of this study is to review the computed tomography (CT) scans of infants, children, and adults to assess the degree of calcification of the thyroid cartilage at various ages in order to understand in which age group laryngeal ultrasound can be utilized. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective. METHODS: Two hundred patients from newborn to 50 years who received a CT scan of the neck were identified. The Hounsfield units (HU) of the thyroid cartilage were calculated at one o'clock, four o'clock, eight o'clock, and eleven o'clock at the level of the true and false vocal fold. The Spearman correlation coefficient was calculated to evaluate the correlation between each measure and age, then a linear regression with a logarithmic transformation was applied to further study how the measures were related to age. RESULTS: The Spearman correlation coefficients ranged from 0.58 to 0.75. The P values of these coefficients were all < 0.0001, showing a significant relationship to age. The age increase by 1 year resulted in increased calcification by 1.5% to 4%. The Wilcoxon signed rank test compared the rate of calcification at each site measured. This showed that the two posterolateral sites calcify faster than the two anteromedial sites. CONCLUSION: The thyroid cartilage calcifies at a rate that is significantly related to increasing age and calcifies in a posterolateral to anteromedial direction. Based on the HU, the thyroid cartilage is not consistently denser than soft tissue until greater than 40 years of age, which would make laryngeal ultrasound feasible for this population. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 4.
