Ultrasonography for laryngeal lesions

Abstract

Recent advances in ultrasonography, especially improvements in close-range spatial resolution that have been achieved in the last two decades, have made it possible to gain much more information by allowing the visualization of tissue construction, organ movement, and fine blood flow, even through the cartilage. These improvements could contribute to the rapid improvement of laryngeal ultrasonography. Ultrasonography has many advantages over other diagnostic imaging modalities: it is non-invasive and radiation-free, it does not require troublesome pre-treatment preparations, it allows for real-time dynamic assessment, and the equipment is portable. And it is cost-effective for both of patients and medical economy. The ultrasonographic assessment of vocal cord movement is performed using two procedures: the middle transverse procedure, and the trans-thyroid cartilage transverse procedure. We focused on the usefulness of ultrasonography in the primary care of patients presenting with laryngeal symptoms, especially regarding the importance of ultrasonography in the evaluation of the airway condition and vocal cord movement, and the diagnosis of laryngeal tumors.