Normal Thickness Ranges for the Adult Korean Epiglottis Using Ultrasonography

Paik,  Jin Hui; Hong,  Dae Young; Kim,  Ji Hye; Lee,  Kyung Mi; Kim,  Jun Sig; Han,  Seung Baik; Lee,  Hun Jae; Lee,  Kyung Hee; Go,  Yeong Gil; Khi,  Woong

J Korean Soc Emerg Med > Volume 17(5); 2006 > Article

Original Article

Journal of The Korean Society of Emergency Medicine 2006;17(5): 471-478.

Normal Thickness Ranges for the Adult Korean Epiglottis Using Ultrasonography

Jin Hui Paik, Dae Young Hong, Ji Hye Kim, Kyung Mi Lee, Jun Sig Kim, Seung Baik Han, Hun Jae Lee, Kyung Hee Lee, Yeong Gil Go, Woong Khi

¹Department of Emergency Medicine, College of Medicine, Inha University, Inchon, Korea. LIFSAV@inha.ac.kr
²Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, College of Medicine, Inha University, Inchon, Korea.
³Department of Radiology, College of Medicine, Inha University, Inchon, Korea.
⁴Department of Emergency Medicine, Inje University Seoul Paik Hospital, Seoul, Korea.
⁵Department of Emergency Medicine, Konkuck University Hospital, Seoul, Korea.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE:
The purpose of this study was to assess the reliability of ultrasonography to image the epiglottis and to determine a thickness range based on healthy Korean adults.
METHODS:
Anterior neck images were obtained in 100 healthy Koreans (52 males and 48 females) using ultrasonography. Sonographically, the epiglottis appeared as a curvilinear, hypoechoic structure with an echogenic preepiglottic space. 20 of 100 subjects, each patient underwent two ultrasound measurements by the same examiner to assess for intra-examiner reliability, followed by two additional measurements performed by a second examiner to assess for inter-examiner reliability.
RESULTS:
Intraclass correlation coefficient revealed excellent reliability (intra-examiner 0.901, inter-examiner 0.887). The average Korean epiglottis thickness was measured to be 2.31+/-0.22 mm (range: 1.88 mm to 2.84 mm), with greater thickness noted in men (2.41+/-0.21 mm) when compared to women (2.21+/-0.18 mm) (p <0.001). There was significant correlation between epiglottis thickness and body surface area (r=0.533), weight (0.517), height (0.437) and body mass index (0.372). Average examination time was recoded to be 17.84+/-13.09 seconds.
CONCLUSION:
Bedside ultrasonography is rapid, safe, easy to perform and can accurately evaluate the epiglottis as seen in our study. Because of excellent reliability, it is possible to establish diagnostic criteria.

Key words: Epiglottis, Ultrasonography, Reliability