Clinical feasibility of the new technique of functional 3D laryngeal CT.
CONCLUSIONS
Functional 3D laryngeal CT (F3DLxCT) is an informative tool for visualizing the active changes in length, tension and mass of the vocal folds for pitch control. Furthermore, volume defects and level differences of paralyzed vocal folds are easily detectable with this new technique.


OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the clinical feasibility of F3DLxCT images, which can provide clear coronal images of the vocal fold in each anteroposterior direction during phonation and in the resting state.


METHODS
FLxCT images were reconstructed to three dimensions to visualize laryngeal motion. FLxCT was performed in four normal controls and in four patients with unilateral vocal fold paralysis in the resting state and during phonation with three vowel sounds of different pitch. 3D images were reconstructed with segmentation and a surface-rendering algorithm on a PC, using the DICOM file of axial images.


RESULTS
The dynamic vocal fold 3D image during phonation could visualize that the thickness and volume were decreased in relatively to the pitch increase. Typical subglottic shoulder-like image formation and ventricular widening were noted with the high-pitch tone.
Jun
Beom-Cho
BC
Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, School of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, South Korea.
Kim
Hyung-Tae
HT
Kim
Hyun-Soo
HS
Cho
Seung-Ho
SH
D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D007830:Larynx / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*; D014826:Vocal Cord Paralysis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology