Pharyngeal residue across the lifespan: a first look at what's normal.
OBJECTIVE
Without good evidence, post-swallow pharyngeal residue is considered abnormal. Our aim was to document residue from normal food and fluid boluses in young and elderly healthy populations.


METHODS
Prospective, single-blind assessment of residue severity from Fibreoptic Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing.


METHODS
Tertiary specialist ENT teaching hospital.


METHODS
Fifty-one healthy participants; twenty-one aged <40 and thirty aged 65+. Each swallowed six representative boluses.


RESULTS
Two teams independently rated pharyngeal residue severity at 11 anatomical sites.


RESULTS
The mean residue scores were less than 1 when averaged across all boluses and anatomic sites. Differences due to age were slight.


CONCLUSIONS
Our preliminary data indicate that substantial pharyngeal residue is not common in young or elderly, and probably indicates disordered swallowing.
Kelly
A M
AM
Head and Neck Centre, University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK. annette.kelly@uclh.nhs.uk
Macfarlane
K
K
Ghufoor
K
K
Drinnan
M J
MJ
Lew-Gor
S
S
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003679:Deglutition / Q000502:physiology*; D003680:Deglutition Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D005471:Fluoroscopy; D005502:Food; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010614:Pharynx / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000502:physiology*; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D014783:Viscosity