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Head and Neck Imaging

Pre-epiglottic space

a deep tissue plane, lying between the mucosa and the supporting skeleton of the larynx, largely consisting of adipose tissue. This deep tissue space is superiorly bordered by the hyoepiglottic ligament. Anteriorly it is bordered by the thyroid cartilage, thyrohyoid membrane and cricothyroid membrane. The posterior border consists of the epiglottis, quadrangular membrane and the anterior reflection of the pyriform sinus mucosa. Its inferior border is formed by the conus elasticus. Several names and definitions referring to this space are found. That part of the submucosal space anteriorly to the epiglottis is often called the pre-epiglottic space; lateral to the pre-epiglottic space is the paired paraglottic space.

Laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma head and neck may involve the pre-epiglottic space, and this infiltration often occurs subclinically (supraglottic cancer (VI:2), Fig. 1). The cancer may, via the pre-epiglottic space, reach the anterior commissure or invade the tongue base. Identification of such tumour spread depends heavily on cross-sectional imaging (supraglottic cancer (VI:2), Fig. 2).