Age related changes in the distribution of laryngeal glands in the human adult larynx.
OBJECTIVE
To understand the defense status of glandular tissue in the human adult larynx, we examined the glandular distribution, concentration and the ratio of the mucous glands in the subglottic and supraglottic larynx.


METHODS
One-hundred and seven adult larynges were examined. The area of the mucosa and glands were measured using an image analyzing system. The correlations of the concentration as well as the ratio of the mucous glands with age were analyzed.


RESULTS
The ratio of the areas occupied by the glandular acini of the subglottis was almost equal to that of infants as we reported earlier. The concentration of the laryngeal glands decreased in higher-aged adults at the level of the supraglottis, but not at the level of the subglottis.


CONCLUSIONS
In comparison to infants, the ratio of laryngeal glands of the human subglottic larynx is rather constant in human adults. However, the supraglottic larynx seems to be influenced by increasing age. The changes deserved in the laryngeal glands predominantly occur in the supraglottic larynx.
Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Kurume University School of Medicine, 67 Asahi-machi, Kurume 830-0011, Japan.
Hideichiro
H
Tomita
Tadashi
T
Nakashima
Akiteru
A
Maeda
Hirohito
H
Umeno
Kiminori
K
Sato
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000473:pathology* / Q000502:physiology; D005088:Exocrine Glands / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D007820:Laryngeal Mucosa / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000254:growth & development / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009093:Mucus / Q000378:metabolism; D012044:Regression Analysis; D014026:Nicotiana / Q000009:adverse effects