Visibility of Prevertebral Soft Tissues in the Neck Using Ultrasonography: A Feasibility Study

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Figure
Sonography of the prevertebral soft tissues in the neck. Transverse (A) and longitudinal (B) images of the prevertebral tissues in the cervical spine from the left. The longus colli muscle overlies the anterior/anterolateral vertebral bodies. (C and D) Transverse sonographic images from the right and left of the neck demonstrating visualization of the esophagus only from the left. Abbreviations: L, left; R, right.

Table

Visualization of soft tissues in neck with ultrasound imaging.

Soft Tissue	Cases Visualized on Ultrasonography		Proportion (95% CI)^{^a}
Soft Tissue	Right	Left	Right	Left
Esophagus	7/10	10/10	70% (40%–89%)	100% (72%–100%)
Longus colli muscle	10/10	10/10	100% (72%–100%)	100% (72%–100%)
C2	6/10	6/10	60% (31%–83%)	60% (31%–83%)
C3	10/10	10/10	100% (72%–100%)	100% (72%–100%)
C4	10/10	10/10	100% (72%–100%)	100% (72%–100%)
C5	10/10	10/10	100% (72%–100%)	100% (72%–100%)
C6	10/10	10/10	100% (72%–100%)	100% (72%–100%)
C7	9/10	7/10	90% (60%–98%)	70% (40%–89%)