%0 Journal Article
%T Multiparametric CT-based assessment of pretracheal anatomical relationships for safe tracheotomy: A long-forgotten issue revisited.
%A Zhu D
%A Abdelrehem A
%A Wu L
%A Xia R
%A Zhu Y
%A Sheng S
%A Ai S
%A Ma C
%A Zhu D
%A Abdelrehem A
%A Wu L
%A Xia R
%A Zhu Y
%A Sheng S
%A Ai S
%A Ma C
%J Oral Oncol
%V 126
%N 0
%D 03 2022
%M 35121399
%F 5.972
%R 10.1016/j.oraloncology.2022.105719
%X To assess the anatomical relationships and variations in the pretracheal space and to guide tracheotomy procedures in a safe manner with image-based evidence.<BR>A retrospective study was conducted on unirradiated patients requiring elective tracheotomies. Preoperative contrast-enhanced CT (CECT)/CT venography (CTV) was applied for an anatomical evaluation of the pretracheal region. Vascular morphologies were compared for three vessels: the anterior jugular vein (AJV), the innominate artery (IA) and the inferior thyroid vascular plexus (ITVP). The relationships between the thyroid isthmus and the 2nd-4th tracheal rings were also analyzed.<BR>A total of 120 patients were identified, most of whom (n = 110, 91.7%) had head and neck squamous cell carcinomas. Patients with recognizable AJVs (n = 118) were divided into 3 groups: single-branch (n = 11, 9.2%), double-branch (n = 105, 87.5%), and multibranch (n = 2, 1.7%). In addition, IAs were categorized as low-bifurcation (n = 51, 42.5%), high-bifurcation (n = 40, 33.3%), platform (n = 27, 22.5%) and variant types (n = 2, 1.7%). Within the platform types, high-lying IAs (n = 15, 8.3%) might have interfered with the standard tracheal incisions due to possible IA-tracheal overlay. This interference was also related to the height of intraoperative tracheal incisions (rn = 0.364, P = 0.001). Within ITVPs, independent-trunk types were found in 71 cases (59.2%), while common-trunk types were found in 45 (37.5%). In addition, a low thyroid isthmus (suprasternal-isthmus distance <3 cm) was found in 83 cases (69.2%).<BR>CT image-based evidence can prepare junior practitioners with important pretracheal anatomical information, thereby facilitating safer tracheotomy procedures. Our results shed light on vascular relationships for emergent tracheotomy.