TY - JOUR
T1 - Evaluation of true vocal fold growth as a function of age
AU - Rogers, Derek J.
AU - Setlur, Jennifer
AU - Raol, Nikhila
AU - Maurer, Rie
AU - Hartnick, Christopher J.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery Foundation 2014 Reprints and permission.
PY - 2014/10/12
Y1 - 2014/10/12
N2 - Objective. To evaluate change in true vocal fold length as a function of age.Study Design. Prospective study.Setting. Tertiary aerodigestive center.Subjects and Methods. In total, 205 patients (aged 1 month to 20 years), of whom 87 (42.4%) were female and 118 (57.6%) male, were included. Lengths of the total vocal fold (TVFL), membranous vocal fold (MVFL), and cartilaginous vocal fold (CVFL) were measured during direct laryngoscopy. Membranous-to-cartilaginous (M/C) ratios were calculated.Results.For patients younger than 1 year, mean (SD) MVFL was 4.4 (1.3) mm for females and 4.9 (1.8) mm for males. At age 17 years, mean (SD) MVFL was 12.3 (2.1) mm for females and 14.0 (1.4) mm for males. Mean TVFL, MVFL, and CVFL increased an average of 0.7 mm, 0.5 mm, and 0.2 mm per year in linear fashion, respectively (linear regression, P <.0001). The M/C ratio did not significantly change with age (P = .33). Mean TVFL, MVFL, and CVFL showed no statistical difference between males and females (P = .27, .11, and .75, respectively).Conclusion. This is the largest longitudinal pediatric study specifically examining vocal fold length as a function of age. Each length of the true vocal fold appeared to linearly increase for both females and males. The M/C ratio remained relatively constant, unlike previously reported data, possibly due to in vivo vs cadaveric measurements. These findings suggest that critical periods of development in females and males are not explainable by changes in vocal fold length alone, and other factors such as vocal fold layers need further exploration.
AB - Objective. To evaluate change in true vocal fold length as a function of age.Study Design. Prospective study.Setting. Tertiary aerodigestive center.Subjects and Methods. In total, 205 patients (aged 1 month to 20 years), of whom 87 (42.4%) were female and 118 (57.6%) male, were included. Lengths of the total vocal fold (TVFL), membranous vocal fold (MVFL), and cartilaginous vocal fold (CVFL) were measured during direct laryngoscopy. Membranous-to-cartilaginous (M/C) ratios were calculated.Results.For patients younger than 1 year, mean (SD) MVFL was 4.4 (1.3) mm for females and 4.9 (1.8) mm for males. At age 17 years, mean (SD) MVFL was 12.3 (2.1) mm for females and 14.0 (1.4) mm for males. Mean TVFL, MVFL, and CVFL increased an average of 0.7 mm, 0.5 mm, and 0.2 mm per year in linear fashion, respectively (linear regression, P <.0001). The M/C ratio did not significantly change with age (P = .33). Mean TVFL, MVFL, and CVFL showed no statistical difference between males and females (P = .27, .11, and .75, respectively).Conclusion. This is the largest longitudinal pediatric study specifically examining vocal fold length as a function of age. Each length of the true vocal fold appeared to linearly increase for both females and males. The M/C ratio remained relatively constant, unlike previously reported data, possibly due to in vivo vs cadaveric measurements. These findings suggest that critical periods of development in females and males are not explainable by changes in vocal fold length alone, and other factors such as vocal fold layers need further exploration.
KW - pediatric laryngology
KW - pediatric voice
KW - vocal fold length
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84908868265&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1177/0194599814547489
DO - 10.1177/0194599814547489
M3 - Article
C2 - 25171926
AN - SCOPUS:84908868265
SN - 0194-5998
VL - 151
SP - 681
EP - 686
JO - Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery (United States)
JF - Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery (United States)
IS - 4
ER -