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To the Editor.—The July 1967 issue of the Archives published an article by Dr. F. D. Martinson, "Chemodectoma of the 'Glomus Laryngicum Inferior.' " This term was apparently introduced by Prof O. Kleinsasser of Köln, West Germany in 1964 (Arch Ohr Nas Kehlkopfheilk 184:214). It offends the ears of any Latin-trained person. "Glomus" is a neuter noun and the adjective "inferior" is at variance with the other one "laryngicum." Obviously the correct grammatic form should be glomus laryngicum inferius—or superius: plural, glomera laryngica superiora—or inferiora.
Another problem is that according to the new anatomic nomenclature the terms "superior" and "inferior" should be replaced by "cranial" and "caudal," respectively.
In the world literature one also finds other examples of incorrect use of adjectives in connection with the term "glomus." Not rarely one still comes across expressions such as "glomus jugularis."