Article

The purpose of this study was to confirm that the arytenoid regions dynamically
adduct and extend upward toward the epiglottis during laryngeal elevation. While
14 healthy volunteers aged 19-32 years old swallowed 5 ml of white soft yogurt in
one gulp without chewing, the movement of the arytenoid regions was observed for
videoendoscopic evaluation of swallowing (VE). Each moving image was stored
simultaneously on videotape. A cross-sectional area surrounded by the epiglottis
and the bilateral arytenoid regions (S) and the length of a straight line passing
through the anterior borders of the left and right arytenoid regions (L) were
measured. The relative area of the entrance in the laryngeal vestibule was
calculated as [S/L (2)] before the swallowing reflex (resting condition), just
before laryngeal closure, and just after laryngeal closure. [S/L (2)] was smaller
just before epiglottal descent than at the resting condition, and became smallest
just after the epiglottis started to ascend. The mean area narrowed to 37.9% of
the resting area just after laryngeal closure and in the most extreme case to
8.7% of the resting area. It was demonstrated that the arytenoid regions adducted
and extended up toward the epiglottis during laryngeal elevation. The technique
used to measure the cross-sectional area of the entrance in the laryngeal
vestibule employing VE was an effective analytical procedure.

Langue : ANGLAIS