Can Transcutaneous Laryngeal Ultrasonography Systematically Quantify Vocal Fold Movement?-A Feasibility Study

Area of Science:

• Otolaryngology
• Medical Imaging
• Anatomy

Background:

• Vocal fold movement assessment is crucial, particularly after thyroidectomy.
• Current methods lack objective quantification during perioperative periods.
• Transcutaneous laryngeal ultrasonography (TLUSG) has potential for objective vocal fold analysis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To establish a feasible and objective method for assessing vocal fold movement using TLUSG.
• To quantify laryngeal parameters during different respiratory phases.

Main Methods:

• A feasibility study involving 40 healthy adult volunteers.
• TLUSG was performed during calm breathing and breath-holding.
• Measurements included vocal fold angle, length, and distances of laryngeal structures using built-in ultrasonic functions.

Main Results:

• Satisfactory ultrasonic images were obtained in all participants.
• No significant differences in laryngeal parameters were found between left and right sides.
• Statistically significant differences were observed in laryngeal parameters between inspiratory and breath-holding phases (P < 0.05).

Conclusions:

• TLUSG provides an objective method to measure positional parameters of the vocal fold, arytenoid cartilage, and false vocal fold.
• Differences in these parameters before and after vocal fold movement can be reliably obtained.
• This technique offers a valuable tool for objective vocal fold assessment.