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Using attenuation coefficients from optical coherence tomography as markers of vocal fold maturation
Author(s) -
Garcia Jordan A.,
Benboujja Fouzi,
Beaudette Kathy,
Guo Rong,
Boudoux Caroline,
Hartnick Christopher J.
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
the laryngoscope
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.181
H-Index - 148
eISSN - 1531-4995
pISSN - 0023-852X
DOI - 10.1002/lary.25765
Subject(s) - attenuation , optical coherence tomography , vocal folds , lamina propria , population , nuclear medicine , medicine , larynx , pathology , optics , physics , anatomy , epithelium , environmental health
Objectives/Hypothesis Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is a promising technology to noninvasively assess vocal fold microanatomy. The goal of this study was to develop a methodology using OCT to identify quantifiable markers of vocal fold development. Study Design In vivo study. Methods A two‐step process was developed to reproducibly image the midmembranous vocal fold edge of 10 patients younger than 2 years and 10 patients between 11 and 16 years of age using OCT. An image analysis algorithm was implemented to extract OCT‐derived A‐lines for each patient. These A‐lines were divided into three zones according to apparent changes in slope. Relative attenuation coefficients, or tissue‐ and system‐dependent parameters that describe the rate at which optical signal decays, were calculated for each zone. Results Young patients had distinct relative attenuation coefficients in zone 1 ( P < .0001), whereas zones 2 and 3 were indistinct ( P = .1129). Older patients had distinct relative attenuation coefficients in zones 1, 2, and 3 ( P < .0370). Between age groups, relative attenuation coefficients were different in zones 2 and 3 ( P < .0001, P = .0315, respectively) and indistinct in zone 1 ( P = .1438). Conclusions Relative attenuation coefficients can be used as markers of vocal fold development. Differences in relative attenuation coefficients likely represent changes in extracellular matrix structure within the lamina propria and may become useful for guiding treatment of voice disorders in the pediatric population. Level of Evidence NA Laryngoscope , 126:E218–E223, 2016