The Larynx

Question 1

What are the 3 functions of the larynx?

Answer 1

Respiration- coughing and airway protection
Phonation
Swallowing

Question 2

What is the epiglottis made of? What are the cells on the lingual and undersurface? Where does it attach post?

Answer 2

Elastic fribrocartilage
Lingual- stratified squamous
Undersurface-columnar
Attached post to thyroid cartilage by thyroepiglotic ligament

Question 3

What is the vallecula?

Answer 3

Depression between the tongue base and the epiglottis

Question 4

What is the bit in between the vocal cords looking down into the trachea called?

Answer 4

Rima glottis

Question 5

How is the epiglottis different in children to adults? What does it mean?

Answer 5

More U-shaped (flatter in adults)

Means oedema can block airways more easily

Question 6

Which cartilage is the only one to form a complete ring around the airways?

Answer 6

Cricoid cartilage

Question 7

What does the thyroid cartilage touch sup and inf? What two things attach to the thyroid cartilage? What is its main function?

Answer 7

Sup= hyoid bone
Inf= cricoid cartilage
Vocal cords and epiglottis
Protection

Question 8

At what vertebral level is the cricoid cartilage found? What does it articulate with?

Answer 8

C6

Arytenoids and thyroid cartilage

Question 9

Where are the arytenoids found? What do they offer? What other two cartilages are included?

Answer 9

On the cricoid cartilage
Post attachment for vocal cords and internal laryngeal muscles
Corniculate, cuneiform

Question 10

What are the false vocal cords also known as?

Answer 10

Vestibular folds/ligaments

Question 11

What connects the thyroid and cricoid cartilages? What is it also known as? Clinically what is it a useful landmark for?

Answer 11

Cricothyroid ligament, conus elasticus

Crycothyroidotomy

Question 12

What does applying cricoid pressure do?

Answer 12

Keep airway open and patent but seals off oesophagus and prevents food regurg in unconscious pt

Question 13

What connects the thyroid cartilage to hyoid bone?

Answer 13

Thyrohyoid cartilage

Question 14

What epithelium are the vocal folds and vocalis?

Answer 14

Stratified squamous

Question 15

Where do the vocal cords attach ant and post?

Answer 15

Ant= Inf surface of thyroid cartilage
Post= arytenoids

Question 16

What are responsible for moving the vocal cords? How are they seen in breathing, and swallowing? When are they partially abducted?

Answer 16

Arytenoids move vocal cords when pulled by intrinsic laryngeal muscles.
Breathing= abducted
Swallowing= adducted
Partially= coughing/talking

Question 17

Which muscles is the exception to the rule for the intrinsic muscle of the larynx? Why? What does it do?

Answer 17

Cricothyroid as it is outside the thyroid cartilage

Increases vocal pitch

Question 18

Which is the only thyroid muscle to ABduct the vocal cords?

Answer 18

Posterior cricoarytenoid

Question 19

Name the 3 regions of the glottis and their boundaries.

Answer 19

Supraglottis= inf epiglottis -> vestibular folds
Glottis= cords + 1cm
Subglottis= inf glottis -> inf cricoid cartilage

Question 20

Which CN provides sensory innervation to the larynx?

Answer 20

Vagus

Question 21

What does the RLN provide sensory and motor to? What do the R and L branches run back up in?

Answer 21

Sensory- subglottic
Motor- intrinsic muscles
Tracheooesophagel groove

Question 22

What does the sup laryngeal nerve divide into? What does each provide?

Answer 22

Internal- sensory to supraglottic

External- motor to cricothyroid

Question 23

Which arteries run with the sup laryngeal and RLN?

Answer 23

Sup- sup thyroid artery

RLN- inf thyroid artery

Question 24

Which membrane does the sup laryngeal nerve pierce?

Answer 24

Thyrohyoid

Question 25

Give 4 causes of RLN palsy

Answer 25

Laryngeal cancer
Apical lung cancer
Trauma
Thyroid disease benign/malignant

Question 26

With laryngeal cancer, when is there a good prognosis? How might a pt present (give 4 things)

Answer 26

If it’s supra or glottic regions ie above the glottis

Dysphagia, odonophagia, hoarseness of voice, foreign body sensation in throat

Question 27

Where is the thyroid gland located?

Answer 27

In the anterior neck between C5-T1