Prominence of thyroid cartilage

Protrusion of thyroid cartilage mainly occurs in male friends, and Adam's apple is a symptom of protrusion of thyroid cartilage. We can judge the problem of protrusion of thyroid cartilage by touching it. The symptoms of thyroid cartilage protrusion may also be caused by symptoms such as early laryngeal cancer. You can learn about the causes of thyroid cartilage protrusion.

1. The cricoid cartilage is the largest laryngeal cartilage. It is composed of two left and right quadrilateral cartilage plates that form the front and side walls of the larynx. The posterior edge of the plate is free, and the upper angle is connected to the greater angle of the hyoid bone by ligaments, and the lower angle forms a joint with the cricoid cartilage.

2. The thyroid cartilage forms the anterior and lateral walls of the larynx and is composed of two left and right quadrilateral cartilage plates. The front edges of the two plates are connected at approximately a right angle (an obtuse angle in women) to form a front angle. The upper end of the front angle protrudes forward and is called the Adam's apple, which can be felt on the surface of the body and is particularly prominent in adult males. The depression between the two plates at the upper edge of the anterior horn is called the suprathyroid notch. The posterior edge of the plate is free, forming a protrusion upward and downward, called the superior horn and inferior horn. The upper angle is longer and connected to the greater angle of the hyoid bone by ligament; the lower angle is shorter and thicker, with a small articular surface on the inner side of the tip, forming a joint with the cricoid cartilage.

The thyroid cartilage generally ossifies gradually after the age of 25, and the degree of ossification increases with age. It manifests as the appearance of strong point-shaped and strip-shaped echoes within the uniform low echoes in the cartilage plate. The echoes are enhanced and the manifestations vary depending on the calcium content and elasticity of the bone. In severe cases, there is an acoustic shadow at the back. When the thyroid cartilage is invaded, the sonographic manifestations vary depending on the degree of invasion: when it is mild, the inner surface of the thyroid cartilage plate may appear as a strong echoic line-like cortical area that is not smooth, slightly depressed, and has a local interruption of continuity. If it is further invaded, the range of the continuity interruption will increase, the inner surface cortical line-like strong echoes will be significantly depressed, and there will be worm-like defects in the internal low-echo area. When the thyroid cartilage is severely invaded, protrusions and defects of the thyroid cartilage may be found, causing the thyroid cartilage plate to lose its smooth shape. At the same time, when the tumor is too large, it may invade directly outward from the front edge of the thyroid cartilage on both sides. In this group of cases, in 2 patients, the tumor grew directly forward, outward, and upward from the front edge of the back of the cartilage on both sides and invaded the thyroid cartilage plate. However, in this group of cases, there was one case in which the medial surface of the thyroid cartilage plate was confirmed to be invaded during surgery but was not found by ultrasound. The reason was that the tumor invaded the severely calcified part of the thyroid cartilage. It may be that in a patient with early laryngeal cancer, the tumor only invaded the ossified part of the thyroid cartilage.

There are several ways to treat thyroid cartilage protrusion: First, consider that it is caused by thyroiditis. In this case, it is recommended to take anti-infection drugs for treatment, such as prednisone and danshen tablets. If the protrusion is serious, it is recommended to go to the hospital for X-ray examination in time. The second type is considered to be caused by chondritis, which can be treated with appropriate cartilage nourishing drugs, such as glucosamine sulfate. The third type is considered to be caused by acquired developmental disorders, and it is recommended to go to the hospital for surgical treatment in time.