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Growth of laryngeal glands in infants: a comparative study of the sub- and supraglottic larynx

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  08 March 2006

Tadashi Nakashima
Affiliation:
Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Kurume University School of Medicine, Kurume, Japan.
Hirohito Umeno
Affiliation:
Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Kurume University School of Medicine, Kurume, Japan.
Shun-ichi Yonekawa
Affiliation:
Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Kurume University School of Medicine, Kurume, Japan.
Atsushi Kikuchi
Affiliation:
Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Kurume University School of Medicine, Kurume, Japan.
Sachio Tsuda
Affiliation:
Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Kurume University School of Medicine, Kurume, Japan.
Kiminori Sato
Affiliation:
Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Kurume University School of Medicine, Kurume, Japan.

Abstract

It is well established that laryngeal secretions, produced in the glandular tissue, contribute to the local defence system of the larynx. In this study, the distribution of glandular tissues in the subglottic and supraglottic larynx was examined in 55 infants, using an image analysing system. The average area of the mucosa or glandular acini at the level of the false vocal fold was almost three times larger than that of the subglottis. At both levels, the area occupied by the glands increased according to the age at death and became more evident according to the total development score (TDS) which was estimated by adding the age at death and the gestational period. The results indicate that the glandular structure of the level of the sub- or supraglottic larynx develops constantly and equally after birth.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
© Royal Society of Medicine Press Limited 2002

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