Age-related changes affecting the cricoarytenoid joint seen on computed tomography

Area of Science:

• Radiology
• Otolaryngology
• Geriatrics

Background:

• Cricoarytenoid joint changes can cause dysphonia and vocal fold dysfunction.
• Age-related alterations in the cricoarytenoid joint are not fully understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the prevalence of four cricoarytenoid joint characteristics (ankylosis, narrowing, erosion, density increases) in patients younger and older than 65 years.
• To evaluate the utility of computed tomography (CT) in assessing these age-related changes.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective chart review of 100 patients, divided into two age groups (<65 and ≥65 years).
• Analysis of computed tomography (CT) neck scans to identify the presence or absence of four specific cricoarytenoid joint characteristics.
• Statistical analysis to compare the prevalence of these characteristics between the age groups and with age as a continuous variable.

Main Results:

• Ankylosis was significantly more common in the older group (p = 0.036).
• Older patients showed significantly more right-sided and left-sided ankylosis (p = 0.026 for both) and left-sided narrowing (p = 0.028).
• Older age correlated with increased ankylosis (p = 0.047) and narrowing (p = 0.011) when analyzed continuously.

Conclusions:

• Computed tomography (CT) is a valuable tool for assessing radiologic changes in the cricoarytenoid joint in elderly patients.
• CT findings can aid in the workup of dysphonia and abnormal vocal fold movement in older individuals, particularly identifying ankylosis and narrowing.