Whole-Organ Serial Transverse Sections of the Human Adult Larynx

Abstract

This chapter presents the anatomical structure of the human adult larynx using whole-organ transverse histological serial sections and facilitates close and precise understanding of the spatial relationships of the component parts of the larynx to one another as well as the structure of each component.

The whole laryngeal transverse serial sections are from an autopsy case of a 57-year-old female. The larynx had no history of laryngeal diseases or voice disorders and appeared normal macroscopically.

Two types of stains were employed, hematoxylin and eosin (HE) and Elastica van Gieson (EVG) stains. For each section level, a specimen stained by HE stain, a specimen stained by EVG stain, and a schema of the specimen presenting the anatomical terms of the structures are shown.

It is very important to be able to visualize the internal laryngeal structures by looking at the laryngeal cartilage when performing phonosurgery via an extralaryngeal approach. It is also important to be able to visualize the internal laryngeal structures including histoanatomy by observing the mucosa of the lumen when performing phonosurgery via an intralaryngeal approach. Knowledge of the three-dimensional structure, histology, and functional histoanatomy of the larynx is indispensable for laryngology and laryngeal surgery.