Rheumatoid arthritis of the crico-arytenoid and crico-thyroid joints: a radiological and clinical study.

Low-voltage neck radiography and indirect laryngoscopy was performed in 22 randomly selected rheumatoid patients with the purpose of detecting intralaryngeal arthritis. Radiographic evidence of erosive arthritis of the crico-arytenoid (CA) joints was found in 45% of the patients. Clinical acute CA arthritis without erosive changes was present in two patients, the overall incidence of CA arthritis being 55%. The incidence was higher in females (65%) than in males (20%). The CA arthritis was asymptomatic in 58% of the patients. Radiography revealed osseous destruction at the crico-thyroid joint in four females.