Pharyngeal Tract Research Articles

X-Ray Cephalometric Analysis of the Effects of Angle Class II and III Malocclusion on the Upper Airway Width and Hyoid Position between Parents and Children of Uygur Nationality.

Objective The objective of this paper is to analyze the effect of angle class II and III malocclusion on the sagittal diameter of the upper airway between parents and children of Uygur nationality and to compare the degree of influence. Methods 29 Uygur adolescents with malocclusion and their fathers (mothers) were selected as our subjects via X-ray cephalometric radiograph to analyze the difference between the upper airway sagittal dimension and normal occlusion and compare the influence of malocclusion on the upper airway between parents and children. Results Compared with normal group, the vertical distance from the hyoid point to orbital-ear plane (H-FH) and vertical distance from hyoid point to the mandibular plane (H-MP) in angle class II malocclusion elevated signally, while the vertical distance from hyoid point to anterior cervical plane (H-VL), PNS-UPW, H-FH, and H-MP decreased significantly; compared with normal group: the distance between the posterior nasal spine and the upper pharynx wall (PNS-UPW), H-FH, and H-MP in angle class III malocclusion visually reduced, while PAS, and horizontal distance from the hyoid point and center point of sella turcica to orbital-ear foot (H-S), increased markedly. The impact of class II malocclusion on parents' U-MPM was greater than their children. Conclusion The oropharyngeal space of upper airway becomes smaller and hyoid shifts downwards due to class II malocclusion. Class III malocclusion results in decreased nasopharyngeal gap with hyoid to shift upward. The influence of class II malocclusion on the upper pharyngeal tract of parents was greater than their children.

Articulatory Movement during Production of Lingua-Alveolar Stop Consonants in a Case of Congenital Aglossia

Background: This manuscript, the sixth in a series, discusses an investigation into production of lingua-alveolar stop consonants /tEŒ/ and /dEŒ/ by a person with congenital aglossia (PwCA), and the specific anatomical and physiological properties and kinematics involved. Methods: In this study, a modified barium swallow study was performed to analyze the PwCA's oral and pharyngeal tract, in addition to a video speech recording made during a series of imitative tasks isolating specific English phonemes (/tEŒ/ and /dEŒ/). Researchers evaluated the PwCA's vertical and horizontal range of motion (ROM) of the mobile articulators (i.e., mylohyoid, tongue base, lower incisors, hyoid) during /tEŒ/ and /dEŒ/ production, and whether these phonemes could be predicted by their ROM and graphic representation. Additionally, researchers analyzed horizontal and vertical movement to identify correlational patterns between dependent (DVs) (i.e., lower incisors, hyoid) and independent variables (IVs) (i.e., lower lip, mylohyoid, tongue base) during production of /tEŒ/ and /dEŒ/, and the relationships of variables during movement and predictive variable correlation values. Results: Results revealed that /tEŒ/ and /dEŒ/ were distinct in specific horizontal and vertical distances of ROM and corresponding horizontal and vertical relationships. Additionally, although the horizontal correlation patterns for IVs and DVs were similar in statistical significance, this was not found between hyoid and mylohyoid. Significant positive correlations were found for /dEŒ/ (r=0.581, p 0.05). In vertical axis for /dEŒ/, both DVs were significantly correlated with all IVs except mylohyoid with lower incisor (r=0.233, p>0.05). For /tEŒ/, only three correlations were significant. Hyoid was significantly correlated with tongue base (r=0.648, p<0.05), and lower incisors were significantly correlated with mylohyoid (r=0.420, p<0.05), and lower lip (r=0.923, p<0.05). Finally, multiple distinct ROM differences and significant correlations were observed that made kinematics of /dEŒ/ distinct and identifiable from /tEŒ/.

Clivus osteomyelitis secondary to Enterococcus faecium infection in a 6-year-old girl

A 6-year-old girl was diagnosed to suffer from clivus osteomyelitis secondary to Enterococcus faecium infection. On the basis of the magnetic resonance image, the abscess was drained via the posterior wall of the pharyngeal tract immediately. Subsequent antibiotic therapy allowed rapid improvement and long-term healing of the osteomyelitic process without any side effect. Osteomyelitis or abscess of the clivus is very rare in adult patients and extremely rare in children. Some etiopathogenetic hypotheses are discussed in this case.

Interspecific variation in the site of Tobravirus particle retention in selected virus-vector Paratrichodorus and Trichodorus species (Nematoda: Diptherophorina)

AbstractDifferent combinations of strains of pea early-browning and tobacco rattle Tobraviruses with selected Paratrichodorus and Trichodorus species were examined to identify if differences occurred in the location of virus particle retention within the nematodes. The study revealed that the sites of virus particle retention differed between the individual Tobravirus-trichodorid combinations. No differences were found in the sites of virus retention in nematodes that had been allowed to acquire, but not to transmit, virus compared with nematodes that had been allowed to acquire and subsequently transmit the virus. Virus particles of several strains of Tobraviruses were acquired and retained by trichodorids that are not natural vectors of the particular virus. In these instances the particles were retained within the pharyngeal tract at locations from where when released they are unable to be transferred anteriorly along the pharyngeal tract into plant cells, but rather they can move only posteriorly into the nematode intestine.