Abstract
Objectives:
Age-related sarcopenia has been recognized in skeletal muscles in relation to the decreased body mass index (BMI). In the swallowing muscles, however, there have been few findings concerning sarcopenia. We studied whether muscle volume of the pharyngeal constrictors decreases with age in healthy adults.
Methods:
A retrospective review of head and neck magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of 207 adults (138 males and 69 females, 21-96 years old) examined at the Department of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery of Kyushu University Hospital between 2010 and 2013 was performed. We measured muscle thickness at 4 levels (mid-mandibular level, hyoid level, vocal fold level, and cricopharyngeal level) with OsiriX software. In each level, measuring points were set at median and 3 points with equal intervals in both sides on axial view of T2-weighted MRI images. Averaged values of constrictor thickness were statistically analyzed in correlation to their age and BMI.
Results:
The pharyngeal constrictor muscles appeared thickest at the hyoid level (male: 2.18 ± 0.77 mm, female: 1.79 ± 0.83 mm), which showed no significant correlation to age (r = 0.03 in male and 0.07 in female, P > .1) and BMI (r = 0.27 and 0.33, respectively, P > .1). Results at other levels were almost the same as those at the hyoid. Laterality of the muscle thickness was observed at the cricopharyngeal level (left > right).
Conclusions:
The pharyngeal constrictors appear not to become thin in proportion to age and BMI, unlike skeletal muscles. Branchiogenic swallowing muscles may be tolerable against aging, as compared to skeletal muscles.
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