Establishing a Method for Measuring Laryngeal Prominence Size Using 2D Photography

Area of Science:

• Anatomy
• Medical Imaging
• Facial Plastic Surgery

Background:

• Limited data exists on visible differences in cisgender laryngeal prominences.
• Chondrolaryngoplasty requires precise pre-operative assessment.

Purpose of the Study:

• Establish a quantifiable method for laryngeal prominence measurements using 2D photography.
• Differentiate measurements between cisgender males and females.
• Aid pre-operative counseling and surgical planning for chondrolaryngoplasty.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective review of 2D photographs of cisgender adults.
• Developed a protocol to measure laryngeal prominence length, area, maximum projection, and angle.
• Assessed inter- and intra-rater reliability and used statistical tests to compare male and female measurements.

Main Results:

• High inter- and intra-rater reliability for all laryngeal prominence measurements.
• Significant differences in laryngeal prominence measurements between male and female subjects (p < 0.001).
• Negative correlation between BMI and laryngeal prominence area, maximum projection, and angle in males.

Conclusions:

• A reliable and reproducible protocol for measuring the laryngeal prominence from 2D photographs was demonstrated.
• Photography can effectively quantify thyroid notch anatomy for chondrolaryngoplasty.
• This method aids surgical planning and postoperative outcome tracking.