Clinical Anatomy of the Larynx Flashcards

1
Q

What are some roles of the nasal cavity?

A

Warms and dehumidifies inspired air
Removes and traps pathogens from inspired air
Sense of smell
Drains paranasal sinuses and lacrimal ducts

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

Where do the olfactory nerves run?

A

The olfactory nerves run inferiorly from the olfactory bulb, though the perforated cribiform plate of the ethmoid bone to enter the nasal cavity.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

What are the 4 paranasal sinuses?

A

Frontal, ethmoid, sphenoid, maxillary

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

What are paranasal sinuses?

A

The paranasal sinuses are hollow spaces within the frontal, sphenoid, ethmoid and maxillary bones. They are lined by mucous membrane and all drain into the nose.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

What does the upper airway consist of?

A
nasal cavity
 nostril
oral cavity
pharynx
larynx
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

What does the lower airway consist of?

A

trachea
R&L main bronchus
R&L lungs
diaphragm

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

What innervates the oral cavity?

A

Trigeminal nerve

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

What is the bony skeleton of the oral cavity made up of?

A

Maxilla and mandible and palatine bone (hard palate)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

What is the hard palate made up of?

A

Maxilla anteriorly and palatine bone posteriorly

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

What is the cause for tonsillitis?

A

Majority of cases (2/3) it is caused by a virus

1/3 of cases it is caused by bacteria

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

Where are the palatine tonsils located?

A

Between the palato-glossal arch (outer) and palato-pharyngeal arch (inner)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

How can you tell the difference between viral and bacterial tonsillitis?

A

Puss like exudates present on the tonsils in bacterial tonsillitis, not in viral

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

What is quinsy?

A

If bacterial tonsillitis is undertreated, can develop puss like exudate within the palatine tonsils instead of just on top of them, won’t respond to antibitoics, only resolution is surgical intervention and can be very dangerous as cannot swallow so end up dehydrated if don’t get enough water

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

What is special about the nasal cavity?

A

It is a dual olfactory and respiratory organ

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

What are the parts of the nasal cavity?

A

Anterior septal cartilage
Posterior vomer
Superior ethmoid (perforated roof)
Laterally - 3 conchae

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

What are nasal conchae?

A

Protuberances which stick out into the bone except from the inferior conchae which is a bone on its own.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

What is the function of nasal conchae?

A

Designed to make sir that you breathe in turbulent enough to slow down its progress and store it in the paranasal sinuses for longer so that it can dehumidify and have an increased contact with cilia and mucus.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

Where is the olfactory nerve?

A

Runs inferiorly from the olfactory bulb through the perforated cribiform plate of the ethmoid bone to enter the nasal cavity/

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

What are paranasal sinuses?

A

Hollow spaces lined by mucous membrane and all drain into the nose

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

What are some functions of the paranasal sinuses?

A

Maximise area of inspired air for greater pathogen capture

Lower weight of skull

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

Where does the frontal sinus drain?

A

Frontonasal duct to the semilunar hiatus on the lateral wall

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

Where does the ethmoid sinus drain?

A

3 of them:
anterior ethmoid sinus - semilunar hiatus
middle ethmoid sinus - ethmoid bulla
posterior ethmoid sinus - superior meatus

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

Where does the sphenoid sinus drain?

A

Into the roof of the nasal cavity

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
Q

Where does the maxillary sinus drain?

A

Directly into the semilunar hiatus

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
25
Q

What drains into the semilunar hiatus?

A

Maxillary, frontal and anterior ethmoid sinus

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
26
Q

What drains into the ethmoid bulla?

A

Middle ethmoid sinus

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
27
Q

What drains into the superior meatus?

A

Posterior ethmoid sinus

28
Q

What is the pharynx?

A

Muscular tube connecting the oral and nasal cavities to the trachea and oesophagus

29
Q

What are the 2 sets of pharyngeal muscles?

A

Circular and longitudinal muscles

30
Q

What is the role of the circular pharyngeal muscles?

A

Food propulsion/peristalsis, contract sequentially - first superior constrictor, then middle constrictor, then inferior constrictor - to descend food

31
Q

What is the role of the longitudinal pharyngeal muscles?

A

Change the shape of the pharynx and hold the larynx up to elevate it when swallowing closing off the pharyngeal inlet so that food and drink doesn’t travel in the wrong direction

32
Q

What are the pharyngeal muscles innervated by?

A

The vagus apart from the stylopharyngeus which is innervated by the glossopharyngeal nerve CN IX.

33
Q

Where is the larynx positioned?

A

Anterior neck at C3-C6 vertebrae

Begins where the airway and alimentary tracts separate

34
Q

What is the function of the larynx?

A

Phonation and protection of the lower airway

35
Q

What is the blood supply to the larynx?

A

Superior and inferior laryngeal arteries from ECA and thyrocervical trunk accordingly

36
Q

What are the cartilages of the larynx?

A

3 unpaired - epiglottis, thyroid and cricoic
3 paired (6) - including arytenoids
Total 9

37
Q

What does the thyroid look like?

A

Posteriorly looks like an open book
Is the adam’s apple anteriorly
Has superior and inferior horns

38
Q

What does the epiglottis look like?

A

Leaf with stalk attached to thyroid anteriorly

39
Q

What is the function of the epiglottis?

A

To flatten down during swallowing to close the laryngeal inlet

40
Q

What is special about the cricoid?

A

Goes around the larynx completely - 360 degree angle

41
Q

What is the function of the arytenoids?

A

Produce phonation by holding the vocal cords together to the thyroid and adjusting their distance from each other

42
Q

What are the ligaments of the larynx? What do they do?

A

Cricothyroid need to be aware of as used for emergency airways
Hold muscles together
Others are thyrohyoid, cricotracheal

43
Q

How do the arytenoids help produce sound/phonation?

A

Arytenoid cartilages move the vocal cords which then change the shape of the rima glottidis

44
Q

What is the rima glottides?

A

Space of air which travels down to the lungs, controlled by movement of vocal folds which change its shape to produce sound

45
Q

What are the vocal folds attached to?

A

Epiglottis and ligaments

46
Q

What is the role of the intrinsic muscles of the pharynx?

A

Attach to the arytenoids to move the vocal cords to allow phonation
APART FROM CRICO|THYROID

47
Q

What is the role of cricothyroid muscle?

A

Allows pitch by tilting the larynx, does not change the arytenoids in any way

48
Q

What is the rima glottides like in different conditions?

A

Normal phonation - RG small and vocal cords tight
Normal respiration - RG wide
Exercising, deep inhalation - RG very wide
Whispering - RG very small

49
Q

What are the function of the extrinsic larynx muscles?

A

Suprahyoid (above hyoid) and infrahyoid (below)

Sit outside larynx, protect airways and bring larynx up, attached to hyoid bone

50
Q

What is the origin and pathway of the recurrent laryngeal nerve?

A

Originates from the vagus nerve, becomes recurrent laryngeal before larynx, which splits into R recurrent laryngeal which hooks under the subclavian artery and then goes back to the larynx and the L recurrent laryngeal which goes under the arch of aorta and then back to the larynx

51
Q

What does the recurrent laryngeal supply?

A

All the intrinsic muscles apart from cricothyroid

sensory to area above vocal cords

52
Q

What is the origin and pathway of the superior laryngeal?

A

From the vagus, gives off superior laryngeal below the larynx which splits into external (to cricothyroid) and internal (sensory to larynx)

53
Q

What does the superior laryngeal nerve supply?

A

internal laryngeal - sensory to larynx above vocal cords

external laryngeal - motor to cricothyroid muscle (PITCH)

54
Q

What happens if you get a lesion to the recurrent laryngeal?

A

vocal cord paralysis = hoarseness, aphonia, stridor (inspiratory barking noises)

55
Q

What happens if you get a lesion to the superior laryngeal nerve?

A

Cricothyroid paralysis preventing higher pitched phonation = weak voice, low pitch, easily tires, reduced range

56
Q

When is the recurrent laryngeal most likely damaged?

A

Surgery to the thyroid gland/neck trauma

57
Q

What are the branches of the arch of aorta?

A

L to R:
brachiocephalic trunk - subclavian artery then R common carotid artery
L common carotid artery
L subclavian artery

58
Q

Where does the R common carotid artery bifurcate and into what?

A

C4 - ICA and ECA

59
Q

Where does the inferior laryngeal artery come from?

A

Thyrocervical trunk - R subclavian artery - brachiocephalic trunk

60
Q

Where does the superior laryngeal artery come from?

A

Superior thyroid artery which is from ECA which is from superior laryngeal artery which is from R common carotid which is from brachiocephalic trunk

61
Q

What is the surface anatomy of the larynx?

A

Adam’s apple is thyroid cartilage

next down is cricoid cartilage and bit in between these is cricothyroid ligament

62
Q

What is endotracheal intubation?

A

Insertion of plastic tube via mouth past the vocal cords into the trachea producing a definitive controlled airway and allowing manipulation of ventilation and oxygenation

63
Q

When may you have to do an endotracheal intubation?

A

Anaesthetised patients
critically unwell patients
impending airway obstruction

64
Q

Why may an endotracheal intubation be difficult?

A
Can't get through vocal cords:
limited neck mobility
obese
short mandible length
facial trauma
65
Q

How do you do an endotracheal intubation?

A

Palpate laryngeal prominence of thyroid cartilage

Work inferiorly to palpate cricoid cartilage to ascertain cricothyroid ligament

Make vertical incision from mid thyroid cartilage to superior aspect of cricoid cartilage

Puncture through cricothyroid membrane with horizontal scalpel

Insert airway. Easy!