Toward the front side of a person’s body. For example: the toes are anterior to the heel. The opposite of posterior.
See entries: Anterior Commissure Microweb; Anterior Commissure; Saccular Cyst
Photo Examples of Anterior in Relation to Laryngology:
Segmental Vibration Compared to Full-length
Translucent polypoid swellings (1 of 4)
A younger man with chronic hoarseness due to large translucent polypoid swellings, not seen well at closed phase of full-length vibration at E3 (165 Hz).
Open phase, E3 (2 of 4)
Open phase of vibration at the same pitch showing that the full length of both cords swings laterally. Now the large polyp left vocal cord (right of photo) is easily seen.
Closed phase, E4 (3 of 4)
At E4 (330 Hz), vibration is damped (not allowed) except for the short anterior segment indicated by arrows.
Open phase, E4 (4 of 4)
At the same pitch, but open phase of vibration of that same short segment.
Anterior Saccular Cysts as Incidental Finding
Polyps? (1 of 3)
This man was examined elsewhere for another reason and sent for evaluation of “polyps” in his larynx. Notice the anterior saccular cysts protruding from the anterior ventricle and false cord margin bilaterally (see arrows). He considers his voice to be normal.
Cysts, not polyps (2 of 3)
At closer range, asterisks mark each cyst.
No voice disturbance (3 of 3)
During voice making, notice that neither cyst presses downwards on the vocal cords. That is why voice is normal. Cysts of this sort, diagnosed by intense visual criteria, can be followed once or twice at long intervals, and only occasionally need to be removed due to voice disturbance.
Bilateral Anterior Saccular Cysts
Bilateral anterior saccular cysts (1 of 6)
Bilateral anterior saccular cysts (faint dotted lines), with vocal cords in open, breathing position. The right cyst (left of image) is larger than the left. These present only into the ventricle, and not significantly upwards into the false cords, nor downwards to press down on the true cords.
Phonation (2 of 6)
Phonation, at a high pitch, so that the laryngeal vestibule (the “airspace” above the vocal cords) is mostly open. Voice sounds normal.
Bilateral anterior saccular cysts (3 of 6)
Phonation at a high pitch again, but under strobe lighting, and at the closed phase of vibration. Note that there is good vibratory closure and that neither cord is pushed down by the cysts; again, the voice sounds normal at this pitch.
Bilateral anterior saccular cysts (4 of 6)
Phonation at a high pitch again, under strobe lighting, but at the open phase of vibration. Note that the cords aren’t impaired from oscillating laterally; again, the voice sounds normal.
Bilateral anterior saccular cysts (5 of 6)
Phonation at a mid-range pitch. The vocal cords shorten at this pitch, which constricts the laryngeal vestibule (up-down pairs of arrows) and brings the saccular cysts further over the cord (left-right arrows). Voice is still fairly normal.
Bilateral anterior saccular cysts (6 of 6)
Phonation at a low pitch. The laryngeal vestibule constricts even further (up-down pairs of arrows), bringing the cysts, especially the larger one, further yet over the cords ( left-right arrows), so that they interfere more with vibration. Voice at this pitch sounds congested or bottled up.
