title: A simple and reliable predictor for an adequate laryngeal view with rigid endoscopic laryngoscopy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  It is sometimes impossible to obtain an adequate laryngeal view during rigid endoscopic laryngoscopy. This may be due to a high tongue base. Our study seeks to determine a correlation between tongue base level and the adequacy of laryngeal view obtained with a 70-degree rigid endoscope.
  
  
  METHODS
  Over a period of 4 months, patients from a voice clinic were gathered and categorized into class I to III according to Mallampati et al (1985). Rigid laryngo-videostroboscopy was conducted to assess the larynx and the adequacy of the view was recorded.
  
  
  RESULTS
  74 patients were recruited. The number of adequate views were: class I = 18/20 (90%); class II = 20/33 (60.6%); class III = 7/21 (33.3%). chi 2 analysis demonstrated significance trend in all 3 classes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The level of the tongue base correlated well with the adequacy of laryngeal view obtained from a 70-degree rigid endoscope. This can be used to predict the success of obtaining adequate views during rigid laryngoscopy.
authors.affiliation: ENT Department, Royal Liverpool University Hospital, United Kingdom. c.low1@btinternet.com
authors.forename: Christopher
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Low
authors.forename: Pam
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Young
authors.forename: Christopher J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Webb
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Walshe
authors.forename: Stephen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hone
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Panarese
authors.forename: Maxwell S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: McCormick
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020704:Laryngoscopes; D007828:Laryngoscopy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009960:Oropharynx / Q000473:pathology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D049489:Stroboscopy; D014059:Tongue / Q000473:pathology*