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Afferent Nerve Ending Density in the Human Laryngeal Mucosa: Potential Implications on Endoscopic Evaluation of Laryngeal Sensitivity

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Abstract

Laryngeal sensitivity is crucial for maintaining safe swallowing, thus avoiding silent aspiration. The sensitivity test, carried out by fiberoptic endoscopic examination of swallowing, plays an important role in the assessment of dysphagic patients. The ventricular folds appear to be more sensitive than the epiglottis during the sensitivity test. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the mechanical sensitivity of the supraglottic larynx. In seven healthy adults undergoing microlaryngoscopy to remove vocal cord polyps, we excised mucosal samples from the epiglottis and ventricular folds. We measured afferent nerve fiber density by immunoelectron microscopy. All of the subjects underwent an endoscopic sensitivity test based on lightly touching the laryngeal surface of the epiglottis and ventricular folds. The discomfort level was self-rated by the subjects on the visual analog scale. Samples were fixed and stored in cryoprotectant solution at 4 °C. Sections were stained with the protein gene product 9.5, a pan-neuronal selective marker. Nerve fiber density was calculated as the number of fibers per millimeter length of section. The mean nerve fiber density was higher in ventricular samples than in epiglottis samples (2.96 ± 2.05 vs 0.83 ± 0.51; two-sided p = 0.018). The mean visual analog scale scores were significantly higher for touching the ventricular folds than for touching the epiglottis (8.28 ± 1.11 vs 4.14 ± 1.21; two-sided p = 0.017). The higher sensitivity of the ventricular region should be considered for further refining clinical endoscopic evaluation of laryngeal sensitivity.

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Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Otorhinolaryngology Section, Department of Sensorial Organs, Sapienza University, Viale del Policlinico, 155, 00161, Rome, Italy

    Giovanni Ruoppolo, Ilenia Schettino, Antonio Greco, Pietro Soldo, Dario Marcotullio, Alessandro Patella, Francesca Albino & Marco De Vincentiis

  2. Via Nomentana, 401, 00162, Rome, Italy

    Giovanni Ruoppolo

  3. Department of Neurology and Psychiatry, Sapienza University, Viale Università 30, 00185, Rome, Italy

    Antonella Biasiotta, Emanuela Onesti, Marco Ceccanti, Andrea Truini & Maurizio Inghilleri

  4. Pediatric Otolaryngology, Children Hospital Bambino Gesù, Piazza Sant’Onofrio, 4, 00100, Rome, Italy

    Rocco Roma

  5. Department of Radiological Sciences, Oncology and Anatomical Pathology, Sapienza University, Viale del Policlinico, 155, 00161, Rome, Italy

    Carla Giordano

Authors
  1. Giovanni Ruoppolo
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  2. Ilenia Schettino
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  3. Antonella Biasiotta
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  4. Rocco Roma
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  5. Antonio Greco
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  6. Pietro Soldo
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  8. Alessandro Patella
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  9. Emanuela Onesti
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  10. Marco Ceccanti
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  11. Francesca Albino
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  12. Carla Giordano
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  13. Andrea Truini
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  14. Marco De Vincentiis
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  15. Maurizio Inghilleri
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Correspondence to Giovanni Ruoppolo.

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Ruoppolo, G., Schettino, I., Biasiotta, A. et al. Afferent Nerve Ending Density in the Human Laryngeal Mucosa: Potential Implications on Endoscopic Evaluation of Laryngeal Sensitivity. Dysphagia 30, 139–144 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00455-014-9589-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00455-014-9589-7

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