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Thyroepiglottic ligament

The thyroepiglottic ligament is a midline connective tissue structure that anchors the epiglottis to the thyroid cartilage, specifically the inner surface of the thyroid lamina at the angle. It plays a critical role in epiglottic mobility during swallowing, allowing the epiglottis to fold over the laryngeal inlet to protect the airway. Understanding its anatomy and imaging appearance is important for radiologists, ENT specialists, and surgeons evaluating supraglottic pathology, trauma, or congenital anomalies.

Synonyms

  • Epiglottic-thyroid ligament

  • Median thyroepiglottic ligament

  • Midline laryngeal ligament

  • Ligamentum thyroepiglotticum

Function

  • Anchors the epiglottis to the thyroid cartilage, providing structural support

  • Enables the epiglottis to fold over the laryngeal inlet during swallowing

  • Contributes to airway protection and prevention of aspiration

  • Maintains epiglottic stability for phonation and respiration

MRI Appearance

T1-weighted images:

  • Appears as a thin, low signal intensity band extending from the epiglottis to the thyroid cartilage

  • Surrounded by high-signal paralaryngeal fat, which helps delineate the ligament

  • Ligament is usually not individually visible unless thickened or affected by pathology, such as edema or fibrosis

T2-weighted images:

  • Shows low to intermediate signal, while surrounding fluid or edema appears hyperintense

  • Useful for detecting ligament thickening, inflammatory changes, or tumor infiltration

STIR (Short Tau Inversion Recovery):

  • Fat suppression removes signal from surrounding fat, highlighting pathological changes

  • Normal ligament remains low signal; inflamed or infiltrated ligament appears hyperintense

CT Appearance

  • On non-contrast CT, the thyroepiglottic ligament is not directly visible due to its thin, soft tissue nature

  • Identified indirectly by the position and mobility of the epiglottis relative to the thyroid cartilage

  • Surrounding structures such as the air-filled laryngeal vestibule (black, hypodense) and thyroid cartilage (soft tissue/intermediate density) provide anatomical reference

MRI images

Thyroepiglottic ligament mri axial image -img-00000-00000