Associations between Male Gender, Body Size and Dimension of the Epiglottis

Abstract

Objective: This prospective observational study aims to measure the epiglottic thickness by ultrasonography (US) in healthy volunteers. Methods: Healthy adult volunteers were recruited from the National Taiwan University Hospital between October and November 2019. Exclusion criteria included preexisting airway diseases, neck tumors, and a history of neck operation. Epiglottic thickness was measured at the midpoint, right and left edges of the epiglottis. Age, sex, height, weight, and body mass index (BMI) were collected. The linear regression model was employed to identify parameters to be associated with the epiglottic thickness. Coefficients and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were computed. The literature was also reviewed. Results: There were 124 Chinese adults and 63 were men. The average age was 32.5±10.4 years. The midpoint, right edge and left edge of the epiglottic thickness was 2.03±0.42 mm, 2.14±0.42 mm and 2.21±0.

Early recognition and critical management of adult epiglottitis in the emergency department: a case report and review of the literature

“…They have concluded that the objective measurements converted to a ratio (such as EW/C3W) could be useful for patients of all ages without difference [18]. Besides, there has been a study on the association of sex, body weight, race, and epiglottic size, despite using sonographic measurement in healthy individuals [19]. This led to a conclusion that male gender and higher body mass index (BMI) are associated with a larger epiglottis.…”