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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2014 May 27.
Published in final edited form as: Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2010 Jun 18;78(5):1356–1365. doi: 10.1016/j.ijrobp.2009.10.002

Figure 2. Candidate dysphagia-specific OAR volumes.

Figure 2

The superior pharyngeal constrictor (SPC) volume (tan) is defined from the skull base to superior edge of the hyoid bone. The SPC volume (dark red) residing above the inferior edge of C1 is defined as superior SPC. The middle pharyngeal constrictor (MPC) volume (red) extends from superior hyoid to the inferior edge of the hyoid. The inferior pharyngeal constrictor (IPC) volume (green) extends from below the hyoid to the level of the cricopharyngeus muscle at the inferior edge of the cricoid cartilage. The oral cavity is subdivided into equal anterior (blue) and posterior (green) halves for subregional analysis. The glottic larynx (magenta) is distinguished from supraglottic larynx (brown) as laryngeal volume residing between the top of the arytenoid cartilages and the bottom of the cricoid cartilage. For all patients, IMRT was matched at the superior aspect of the arytenoids to a conventional AP SCV field with a 3 × 3 cm larynx block, treated to 50 Gy in 25 daily fractions. The larynx block was extended inferiorly to the lower border of the AP SCV field to become a full length midline spinal cord block after 40–42 Gy. SCV = AP supraclavicular field, SM gland = submandibular gland.