The infraglottic cavity is the lowest compartment of the larynx, running from the vocal folds down to the lower border of the cricoid cartilage, where it becomes the trachea. Its walls widen downwards and are formed by the conus elasticus and the ring of the cricoid. It is lined by ciliated respiratory epithelium.
| Location | Lower larynx, below the vocal folds and inside the cricoid cartilage, just above the trachea. |
|---|---|
| Parts |
|
| Nerve Supply | Recurrent laryngeal nerve (sensory) |
| Blood Supply | Inferior laryngeal artery; Cricothyroid branch of the superior thyroid artery |
| Lymphatic drainage |
|
Conducts air between the glottis and the trachea and helps clear mucus upwards by ciliary action.
The cricoid is the only complete cartilage ring in the airway, so swelling in this region cannot expand outwards, which is why croup and post-intubation injury can narrow the airway seriously, especially in children. Emergency cricothyroidotomy enters the airway here through the cricothyroid membrane when the airway above is blocked.
Narrowing of the airway below the vocal folds, often after prolonged intubation or from inflammatory disease. It causes stridor and breathlessness on exertion.
A viral laryngotracheobronchitis of young children that swells the subglottic region. It causes a barking cough and inspiratory stridor.
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