Arytenoid cartilage sclerosis: normal variations and clinical significance.

PURPOSE: Our purpose was to determine the variation in location, distribution, and sex predilection of arytenoid cartilage sclerosis in a population of patients without laryngeal cancer as an aid to understanding the significance of this entity when seen in patients with laryngeal cancer.
METHODS: One hundred CT examinations of patients of different ages and with no history of laryngeal cancer or radiation therapy were evaluated for the presence of arytenoid cartilage sclerosis. The arytenoid cartilage was subdivided into three regions: superior process, body, and vocal process. Each region was assessed on each side separately on bone window scans.
RESULTS: Arytenoid cartilage sclerosis was seen in 16% (n = 16) of the patients. Sclerosis was most common in the body (n = 12) and least common in the true vocal process (n = 2); the left side was the preferred location for all three regions. In 50% of the patients, at least two regions were affected. Eighty-one percent of sclerotic arytenoid cartilage was seen in women.
CONCLUSION: Knowledge of the frequency and distribution of arytenoid cartilage sclerosis as a normal variant can aid in determining the risk of arytenoid cartilage involvement in patients with laryngeal cancer.