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Mark D. Deutsch, MD; Vesna Martich Kriss, MD; J. Paul Willging, MD

Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 1995;121(12):1410-1412.

Abstract
Objective
Obtain normative data on the distance from the tonsillar fossa to the internal carotid artery in children, and relate this distance to age and weight parameters.

Design
A prospective study of 100 children undergoing magnetic resonance imaging studies for pathology unrelated to the upper aerodigestive tract. The torus tubarius corresponds to the lateral extent of the tonsillar fossa and was used as the reference site for measurements. One hundred children (aged 7 days to 18 years; median, 6 years) were consecutively entered into the study. Exclusion criteria included any preexisting abnormalities of the upper aerodigestive tract. The study defined the distance from the tonsillar fossa to the internal carotid artery. Relationships of this distance were defined for both age and weight parameters.

Results
With increasing age and weight, the distance between the tonsillar fossa and the internal carotid artery increases in a regular fashion to a value approaching 25 mm. Both relationships are exponential with asymptotes being achieved by 56 kg (correlation coefficient, 0.8616; R² value, 0.7423) or 12 years of age (correlation coefficient, 0.8452; R² value, 0.7143).

Conclusion
Age and weight parameters can be used to predict the distance from the tonsillar fossa to the internal carotid artery in children.

(Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 1995;121:1410-1412)

Author Affiliations
From the Department of Pediatric Otolaryngology, Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio (Drs Deutsch and Willging), and Diagnostic Radiology, Chandler Medical Center, Lexington, Ky (Dr Kriss).

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