gms | German Medical Science

The available morphometric dimensions of the human laryngeal skeleton are mainly based on a limited number of cadaver studies. Our intent was to use the large amount of carried out neck CT-scans (e.g. to exclude fractures of the cervical vertebra) to measure the thyroid and cricoid cartilage.

182 out of 340 thin-layered neck CT-scans in our clinic between 2005 and 2007 showed the cricoid cartilage completely without any artefacts. Using the device Osirix^® DICOM-Viewer for multiplanar reconstruction heights, lengths, calibres, angles and thickness of the cartilage were readable in the axial, coronar and sagittal plane.

The results of 71 women and 111 men from age 18 to 93 were comparable with the existing studies in literature: anterior - posterior internal (female 16.1 ± 1.7 mm, male 21 ± 1.9 mm) and external calibre of the cricoid cartilage (female 23.2 ± 2 mm, male 29.3 ± 1.9 mm); horizontal calibre of the outside of the cartilage (female 24 ± 2.5 mm, male 30.5 ± 3 mm) and of the inside of the cartilage (female 13.1 ± 1.9 mm, male 17.7 ± 2.1 mm); height of the cricoid plate (female 20±3 mm, male 24.5±2.8 mm).

Regarding ENT-surgical, anaesthesiologic and emergency procedures our CT-scan measurements of the cricoid cartilage deliver information on dimensions for laryngeal stents, endotracheal and coniotomy tubes. In future CT-scan data could be used for planning laryngeal framework surgery.