Imaging Characteristics and Reference Values of the Vocal Cords in Chinese Adults Based on High-Frequency Ultrasound

To elucidate the imaging characteristics of and establish reference values for measurement parameters of the vocal cords in healthy volunteers.

A total of 1000 healthy Han Chinese adults (694 women) aged 18-79 y will be enrolled between October 2023 and April 2024. The length and width of vocal cord abduction and adduction and vocal cord thickness were measured, and the widening and shortening rates of vocal cord adduction were calculated as indicators of vocal cord motor function. The data were stratified by age group and sex. The correlations of vocal cord measurements with age, height, weight, BMI and BSA were analyzed.

The parathyroid section clearly revealed the vocal cord structure. Image quality decreases with age. Normal reference ranges (from the 2.5th to the 97.5th percentile) were established for vocal cord abduction length, adduction length, abduction width, adduction thickness, shortening rate and broadening rate based on data from 638 healthy adults: males: 13.98-28.17 mm, 11.33-21.21 mm, 2.90-5.66 mm, 5.65-7.44 mm, 3.16-6.18 mm, 9.97%-44.31% and 14.13%-137.78%, respectively; females: 12.55-19.42 mm, 9.59-14.80 mm, 3.40-4.80 mm, 5.65-7.90 mm, 3.40-4.90 mm, 10.05%-39.34% and 32.88%-102.66%, respectively. Vocal cord length, width, thickness, shortening rate and broadening rate were not correlated with age, height, weight, BMI or BSA.

This study summarized the characteristics of and initially established reference values for quantitative parameters of the vocal cords, ultimately providing reference values for the clinic.