title: Maturational descent of the epiglottis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Otolaryngologists and anesthesiologists have described a maturational descent of the epiglottis that occurs in infancy and childhood.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the changing level of the epiglottis to confirm and characterize this phenomenon more completely.
  
  
  METHODS
  A survey of 500 images with 338 images selected for the study.
  
  
  METHODS
  A tertiary care facility.
  
  
  METHODS
  Asymptomatic children aged 1 day to 18 years.
  
  
  METHODS
  The position of the tip of the epiglottis was correlated with the cervical vertebral level.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Data indicate that maturational descent of the epiglottis starts in infancy and continues into adolescence. These results are statistically significant (P < .01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Maturational descent of the epiglottis occurs in a predictable pattern. Understanding this phenomenon may facilitate laryngoscopic, as well as clinical and radiologic, evaluation of the airway in children.
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic Imaging, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Conn, USA.
authors.forename: D S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Schwartz
authors.forename: M S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Keller
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002574:Cervical Vertebrae / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004825:Epiglottis / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000254:growth & development*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed