Morphological and ultrastructural features of the laryngeal mound of Egyptian Cattle Egret (Bubulcus ibis, Linnaeus, 1758)

BACKGROUND: According to our acknowledgment this is the first full anatomical description of the studied laryngeal mound of the Egyptian Cattle Egret (Bubulcus ibis, Linnaeus, 1758). This study was obtained with the aid of scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and histological techniques. Heads of ten healthy adult male Egyptian cattle egrets were used in this study. RESULTS: The laryngeal mound (Mons laryngealis) was a pear-shaped musculoskeletal elevation. It represented 20.55 and 67.87% of the total length of the oropharyngeal floor and the pharyngeal floor, respectively. By SEM view, the lateral aspect of the caudal third of the laryngeal mound had a serrated mucosal appearance, forming of 6–7 finger-like projections. Furthermore, the terminal part of the laryngeal mound (except the middle part) was bordered a transverse row of pyramidal-shaped papillae, which demarcated from the esophagus. Histologically, laryngeal salivary glands termed (cricoarytenoid salivary glands) of the laryngeal mound were simple tubular type and were arranged in one row within the lamina propria connective tissue close to the lamina epithelialis. Those glands were surrounded by abundant aggregation of lymphocytes, extended overlying the surface lining epithelium. The glottis within the laryngeal mound was supported by hyaline cartilages; dorsally by paired arytenoid cartilages, ventrolaterally by cricoid cartilage, and caudodorsally by procricoid cartilage. Two groups of intrinsic laryngeal skeletal muscles have connected the cartilages. The glandular epithelium of the laryngeal salivary glands and chondrocytes of the laryngeal cartilages showed strongly positive alcian blue reaction. CONCLUSIONS: The laryngeal mound shows certain features that are unique as an adaptation to lifestyles and bird’s habitat.