Rheumatoid arthritis of the crico-arytenoid and crico-thyroid joints: a radiological and clinical study.
Low-voltage neck radiography and indirect laryngoscopy was performed in 22 randomly selected rheumatoid patients with the purpose of detecting intralaryngeal arthritis. Radiographic evidence of erosive arthritis of the crico-arytenoid (CA) joints was found in 45% of the patients. Clinical acute CA arthritis without erosive changes was present in two patients, the overall incidence of CA arthritis being 55%. The incidence was higher in females (65%) than in males (20%). The CA arthritis was asymptomatic in 58% of the patients. Radiography revealed osseous destruction at the crico-thyroid joint in four females.
D000328:Adult; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D001175:Arthrography; D001193:Arytenoid Cartilage / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D003413:Cricoid Cartilage / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007817:Laryngeal Cartilages / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013957:Thyroid Cartilage / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging