A Cadaveric and MRI Investigation of the Salpingopharyngeus
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Date
2020-02
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Abstract
Purpose: To update our information regarding the salpingopharyngeus (SP) muscle using cadaveric and in vivo MRI data. Primary objectives were to a) observe the presence/absence of the muscle and b) quantify and describe its dimensions and course.
Method: Out of an original sample of 24 cadavers, 19 cadavers (10 females, 9 males), with a mean age at time of death of 77 years and weight at time of death of 156 pounds, were included in the analysis. Following head bisection, measurements of the SP, including width of the cartilaginous attachment (CW) and width of the superior muscle base (SMW), were taken before and after removal of the overlying mucosa. In addition, high resolution 3D MRI head scans from fourteen healthy participants (5 males, 9 females) were also analyzed. After identifying the opening to the Eustachian tube in a parasagittal image, CW and SMW measures were replicated in the axial MRI view.
Results: The presence of the salpingopharyngeal fold was confirmed bilaterally in all twenty-four cadavers, for a total of 48. Mean values of CW and SMW following mucosa removal were 5.6 mm and 3.8 mm, respectively. Results from a hierarchical regression analysis revealed that SMW is dependent on age and body weight at time of death, after controlling for sex. In the MRI data, the salpingopharyngeal fold and muscle were identified bilaterally in all 14 participants. Mean CW and SMW were 4.7 mm and 3.5 mm, respectively.
Conclusions: The salpingopharyngeal fold is always present, but its contents may be easily damaged or destroyed in the difficult dissection process. Though its inferior course is highly variable, the size of the SP muscle is dependent on cadaveric characteristics known to affect muscle fibers such as age and body weight. The salpingopharyngeal fold and muscle can also be identified in vivo using 3D MRI data. Given the consistent and quantifiable presence of the salpingopharyngeus, its potential role in velopharyngeal function for speech and swallowing are reconsidered.
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Poster Division: Social and Behavioral Sciences: 3rd Place (The Ohio State University Edward F. Hayes Graduate Research Forum)
Keywords
salpingopharyngeus, velopharyngeal anatomy, magnetic resonance imaging, cadaver