During microlaryngoscopy, the surgeon identifies a blind sac arising from the anterior part of the laryngeal ventricle that extends upward between the false cord and the thyroid cartilage. This structure, sometimes called the 'oil can of the larynx', lubricates the vocal folds. What is it?
- A Saccule of the larynx ✓
- B Piriform recess
- C Reinke space
- D Conus elasticus
Correct answer: A. Saccule of the larynx
Explanation
The saccule is a diverticulum of the anterior laryngeal ventricle lined by mucus-secreting glands whose secretion lubricates the vocal cords, hence the eponym 'oil can of the larynx'. Obstruction of its narrow neck produces a laryngocele. The piriform recess lies lateral to the aryepiglottic fold in the hypopharynx, Reinke space is subepithelial, and the conus elasticus is the fibroelastic membrane of the subglottis.
Reference: Dhingra's Diseases of Ear, Nose and Throat, 8th ed.
High-yield for: NEET PGINI-CETNExTFMGEUSMLEPLABMRCP
Written and medically reviewed by the StethoPrep medical team.