A visible epiglottis!

[UTKB]

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So during one of my ER shifts last month I came across this 31 yo woman complaining of body aches, etc, etc. So I had her open her mouth, shined my pen light in, and HOLY CRAP there's her epiglottis waving at me from behind her tongue! Sticking way up, like if I laid her in sniffing position I could see her cords or something without a blade. I mentioned it to the ER attending and they didn't care.

I had no idea this could happen, though I am only an intern. So did a cursory search on Google Scholar, and looks like it has been mentioned in anesthesia and ENT/OMFS literature, seems more like a curiosity than a problem. Still, that was weird.

 

[Matty44]

We have a girl in our class who has the same thing. Freaking crazy. Mallampati grade 0.

 

[Intensivist]

l saw a girl, maybe 8yr/o or something, l think she was admitted to Peds for pneumonia, she had visible epiglottis without using anything to press tongue, and with it pressed l could see cords 😀

 

[Masseter Spasm]

I have seen this alot in children. I encounter this frequently when doing physical exams on children with URI symptoms.

 

[IceDoc]

I've seen this only once, and I remarked to the patient:
"I can see your epiglottis."
"No, you can't."
"Yes, it's right there I can see it."
"No, you can't."

Not an argument I was going to win. 😴