Ultrasonic diagnosis of the pseudoglottis in laryngectomized patients

The validity of ultrasonic imaging as a tool for the investigation of pseudoglottal movements was studied in five good to excellent esophageal speakers. The length of pseudoglottis and vibration rate during phonation of vowels was evaluated by means of B-mode and M-mode sonography respectively. The pseudoglottal vibration rate as seen in M-mode sonography was in high agreement with the fundamental frequency of the simultaneously recorded sound as assessed by speech analysis. Ultrasound imaging is a promising diagnostic and therapeutic tool for the control and development of esophageal speech.