Quantitative Distinction of Unique Vocal Fold Subepithelial Architectures Using Optical Coherence Tomography

Abstract

Objectives:

The primary objective of this study was to quantitatively analyze ex vivo porcine, fetal human, and adult human vocal folds by use of optical coherence tomography (OCT). A secondary objective was to quantitatively discriminate among 1-, 2-, and 3-layer lamina propria structures.

Methods:

We performed an analysis of the vocal folds of 10 adult pig, 3 adult human, and 2 fetal human vocal fold specimens using OCT and histologic techniques. We present a quantitative comparison of the OCT results and histologic findings.

Results:

We found that OCT allowed for the visualization of the subepithelial vocal fold architecture of all imaged tissue, and that it revealed distinct characteristic signal intensities for each type of specimen.

Conclusions:

Optical coherence tomography was developed for in vivo imaging of biological microstructures. This study demonstrates the ability of OCT to differentiate between the vocal fold architectures of 3 histologically distinct types of vocal folds. Future studies aim to develop a quantitative optical imaging algorithm that can be used to facilitate an in vivo longitudinal clinical investigation of the changes that occur in this layered structure over time and maturation.

Keywords

development maturation pediatrics vocal fold

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Burns

Zeitels

Anderson

Kobler

Pierce

de Boer

. Imaging the mucosa of the human vocal fold with optical coherence tomography. Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol 2005;114:671–6.

Kaiser

Rubinstein

Vokes

. Laryngeal epithelial thickness: A comparison between optical coherence tomography and histology. Clin Otolaryngol 2009;34:460–6.

Ridgway

Wright

. Optical coherence tomography of the newborn airway. Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol 2008;117:327–34.

Ridgway

Ahuja

Guo

. Imaging of the pediatric airway using optical coherence tomography. Laryngoscope 2007;11:2206–12.

Sato

Hirano

. Histologic investigation of the macula flava of the human newborn vocal fold. Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol 1995;104:556–62.

Hartnick

Rehbar

Prasad

. Development and maturation of the pediatric human vocal fold lamina propria. Laryngoscope 2005;115:4–15.

Boseley

Hartnick

. Development of the human true vocal fold: Depth of cell layers and quantifying cell types within the lamina propria. Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol 2006;115:784–8.

Boudoux

Leuin

. Optical microscopy of the pediatric vocal fold. Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 2009;135:53–64.

Boudoux

Leuin

. Preliminary evaluation of noninvasive microscopic imaging techniques for the study of vocal fold development. J Voice 2009;23:269–76.

10.

Nassif

Armstrong

de Boer

Wong

. Measurement of morphologic changes induced by trauma with the use of coherence tomography in porcine vocal cords. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 2005;133:845–50.

11.

Maturo

Hill

Bunting

Ballif

Maurer

Hartnick

. Establishment of a Normative Pediatric Acoustic Database. Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 2012 Sep 17:1–6.

12.

Kimura

Tayama

Chan

. Geometrical deformation of vocal fold tissues induced by formalin fixation. Laryngoscope 2003;113:607–13.

13.

Chauhan

Marshal

. The interpretation of optical coherence tomography images of the retina. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 1999;40:2332–42.

14.

Wirbelauer

Winkler

Bastian

Häberle

Pham

. Histopathological correlation of corneal diseases with optical coherence tomography. Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol 2002;240:727–34.

15.

Vokes

Jackson

Guo

. Optical coherence tomography–enhanced microlaryngoscopy: Preliminary report of a noncontact optical coherence tomography system integrated with a surgical microscope. Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol 2008;117:538–47.