후두초음파의 임상적 활용

Ultrasonography has increasingly moved from being a modality confined to the radiology department to an active diagnostic and therapeutic aid available to the head and neck at the point of patient care. However, the application of ultrasonography to the laryngeal disorder is very rare due to progressive age-related ossification of laryngeal cartilage and the presence of air in the lumen, which contribute to difficult conditions for transmission of the ultrasonic waves. The observation about the movements of larynx or surrounding structures is important to understand the physiology of phonation or swallowing and to diagnose the disease. Ultrasonography is a noninvasive and safe imaging technique that can be used to investigate the anatomic structures of the head and neck. Recently, the development of high-frequency ultrasonography makes it possible to apply the ultrasound in the evaluation of larynx.