Objectives/hypothesis: The purpose of this study is to review the computed tomography (CT) scans of infants, children, and adults to assess the degree of calcification of the thyroid cartilage at various ages in order to understand in which age group laryngeal ultrasound can be utilized.
Study Design: Retrospective.
Methods: Two hundred patients from newborn to 50 years who received a CT scan of the neck were identified. The Hounsfield units (HU) of the thyroid cartilage were calculated at one o'clock, four o'clock, eight o'clock, and eleven o'clock at the level of the true and false vocal fold. The Spearman correlation coefficient was calculated to evaluate the correlation between each measure and age, then a linear regression with a logarithmic transformation was applied to further study how the measures were related to age.
Results: The Spearman correlation coefficients ranged from 0.58 to 0.75. The P values of these coefficients were all < 0.0001, showing a significant relationship to age. The age increase by 1 year resulted in increased calcification by 1.5% to 4%. The Wilcoxon signed rank test compared the rate of calcification at each site measured. This showed that the two posterolateral sites calcify faster than the two anteromedial sites.
Conclusion: The thyroid cartilage calcifies at a rate that is significantly related to increasing age and calcifies in a posterolateral to anteromedial direction. Based on the HU, the thyroid cartilage is not consistently denser than soft tissue until greater than 40 years of age, which would make laryngeal ultrasound feasible for this population.
Level Of Evidence: 4.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/lary.25582 | DOI Listing |
Aesthet Surg J
January 2025
Plastic surgeon in private practice, Dallas, TX, USA.
Background: The description of the aesthetically ideal neck was first described by Ellenbogen and colleagues in 1980. Since then, visual and aesthetic goals of patients have evolved as new surgical techniques have been described.
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Extracell Vesicle
December 2024
Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez, Route 108, Mayaguez, Puerto Rico, USA.
Matrix-bound vesicles (MBVs), an integral part of the extracellular matrix (ECM), are emerging as pivotal factors in ECM-driven molecular signaling. This study is the first to report the isolation of MBVs from porcine arterial endothelial cell basement membranes (A-MBVs) and thyroid cartilage (C-MBVs), the latter serving as a negative control due to its minimal vascular characteristics. Using Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), Nano-Tracking Analysis (NTA), Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS), and Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), we orthogonally characterized the isolated MBVs.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAnn Vasc Surg
January 2025
Department of Vascular Surgery, First Hospital of Tsinghua University, Beijing, China. Electronic address:
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January 2025
Universidade Federal de São Paulo - UNIFESP, 04023-062, São Paulo, São Paulo State, Brazil. Electronic address:
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View Article and Find Full Text PDFCureus
December 2024
Family Medicine, SingHealth Polyclinics, Singapore, SGP.
Premature costochondral calcification is a rare finding occurring in young patients and is associated with metabolic and endocrinological conditions. Significant heterogeneity exists with regard to its definition and assessment. This scoping review aimed to summarize the prevalence, risk factors, etiology, evaluation, and management of patients with premature costochondral calcification.
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