Objectives/Hypothesis Vocal fold movement impairment (VFMI) in infants and children is most commonly evaluated by flexible nasolaryngoscopy (FNL). FNL in this population can be challenging due to movement, floppy supraglottic structures, or secretions. Laryngeal ultrasound (LUS) may be an alternative, less invasive means of evaluating VFMI that also decreases aerosolization during the COVID‐19 pandemic. The primary objective was to examine LUS interpretation proficiency for VFMI via an educational module. A secondary outcome was to determine whether quantitative measurements increase interpretation accuracy. Study Design Prospective cohort trial. Methods Medical students, residents, fellows, faculty, and staff were recruited to complete the module, composed of a 13‐minute teaching video followed by 20 cases. Participants determined both qualitatively (subjective assessment) and then quantitatively (through protractor measurements of the vocal fold to arytenoid angle) whether there was normal versus impaired vocal fold mobility. Results Thirty participants completed the LUS training module, and about one‐third were otolaryngology residents. On average, each participant correctly identified 18 cases. The mean rank percent correct for quantitative measurements was significantly higher than that of qualitative interpretations (P < .0001). Measurements significantly caused participants to change their answer correctly compared to incorrectly (P < .0001). As the module progressed, there was no significant trend of more correct interpretations (P = .30). The sensitivity was higher for quantitative interpretations (89.0% vs. 87.3%) but specificity remained unchanged (92.6%). Conclusion Quantitative measurements may increase LUS interpretation accuracy. There was not a specific number of cases interpreted to achieve learning proficiency. LUS is an easily learned method to evaluate for VFMI across all training levels. Level of Evidence 3 (local cohort study nonrandomized) Laryngoscope, 131:2545–2549, 2021

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Agnathia is a rare congenital malformation with unknown etiology characterized by absence of the mandible, microstomia, and tongue aplasia, often found to have other anomalies including holoprosencephaly. The purpose of this paper was to describe the symptoms and imaging of a case of isolated agnathia and to conduct a comprehensive literature review of reported patients with isolated agnathia. Case reports of isolated agnathia are very rare, with most infants as stillborn. We report a child's management of isolated agnathia with microstomia and tongue aplasia. A literature review was performed with focus on diagnosis, airway, and feeding management of isolated agnathia. Polyhydramnios was a common pregnancy complication reported in 25 out of the 39 patients in the case study. Five infants were stillborn, while 23 died within the neonatal period. Of the deceased infants within the neonatal period, 19 died within minutes to hours while four died within days to weeks. There are nine patients with agnathia that survived past infancy. The results of this study suggest that isolated agnathia is a rare malformation which requires a multi‐disciplinary approach for airway and feeding management.

Objective The goal of this study was to use computed tomography (CT) volumetric analysis to assess the effect of age, gender, height, body mass index (BMI), and ethnicity on vocal fold volume in patients with normal larynges. Study Design Retrospective cross‐sectional study. Methods Vocal fold length, width, and height were measured in a total of 105 patients without a history of laryngeal or thyroid pathology on thin‐section soft‐tissue neck CTs. The product of the three dimensions was used to calculate vocal fold volume. Simple and multiple linear regression analyses were used to assess for an association between vocal fold volume and age, gender, height, BMI, and ethnicity. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) were estimated to evaluate the degree interobserver and intraobserver agreement. Results Vocal fold volume was not associated with age, BMI, or ethnicity. Gender‐adjusted height (P = .002) and height‐adjusted gender (P = .016) were significantly associated with volume. Height remained significantly associated with volume after stratifying by gender (P < 0.001). There was moderate‐to‐good correlation in both interobserver (ICC = 0.690 to 0.761) and intraobserver (ICC = 0.733 to 0.873) agreement. Conclusion Age was not associated with vocal fold volume, which is in accordance with several prior negative studies. Age‐related vocal fold atrophy may not substantially contribute to presbyphonia symptoms, but other processes such as changes in the extracellular matrix may play a larger role. However, both gender and height were independently associated with vocal fold volume. Level of Evidence 4 Laryngoscope, 131:E240–E247, 2021