The presence of a thyroid foramen in the thyroid cartilage of the larynx is not uncommon. It may be occluded by a fibrous layer, or it may be an abnormal path for the neurovascular bundle of the larynx. The superior laryngeal nerve and the superior laryngeal vessels are the most common contents of the thyroid foramen. During the observation of the skeleton of a 32-year-old female, we found a completely ossified laryngeal framework with bilateral double thyroid foramina. Three of the foramina were circular, and one was oval in shape. This is a very rare anatomical variation. Deep knowledge of the thyroid cartilage anatomy is mandatory during laryngeal and thyroid surgery. The meticulous dissection of laryngeal vessels and nerves is of paramount importance to control bleeding and avoid postoperative neurological sequelae due to nerve injury. The surgeon should be aware that in the whole length of the oblique line of the thyroid cartilage, a thyroid foramen may be detected.

Three-dimensional (3D) computer models of the human larynx are useful tools for research and for eventual clinical applications. Recently, computed tomography (CT) scanning and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) have been used to recreate realistic models of human larynx. In the present study, CT images were used to create computer models of vocal folds, vocal tract, and laryngeal cartilages, and the procedure to create solid models are explained in details. Vocal fold and vocal tract 3D models of healthy and postsurgery larynges during phonation and respiration were created and morphometric parameters were quantified. The laryngeal framework of eight patients was also reconstructed from CT scan images. For each cartilage, morphometric landmarks were measured on the basis of their importance for biomechanical modeling. A quantitative comparison was made between measured values from the reconstructions and those from human excised larynges in literature. The good agreement between these measurements supports the accuracy of CT scan-based 3D models. Generic standard models of the laryngeal framework were created using known features in modeling softwares. They were created based on the morphometric landmark dimensions previously defined, preserving all biomechanically important dimensions. These models are accessible, subject independent, easy to use for computational simulations, and make the comparisons between different studies possible.