RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Tenderness Over the Hyoid Bone Can Indicate Epiglottitis in Adults
JF The Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine
JO J Am Board Fam Med
FD American Board of Family Medicine
SP 517
OP 520
DO 10.3122/jabfm.19.5.517
VO 19
IS 5
A1 Hiroshi Ehara
YR 2006
UL http://www.jabfm.org/content/19/5/517.abstract
AB Adult acute epiglottitis is a rare but life-threatening disease caused by obstruction of the airway. The symptoms and signs of this disease may be nonspecific without apparent airway compromise. We encountered 3 consecutive cases of adult patients with this disease in a single 5-month period in one physician’s office. In all cases, physical examination revealed tenderness of the anterior neck over the hyoid bone. These observations assisted us in identifying this rare disease quickly. We suggest that tenderness over the hyoid bone should raise suspicion of adult acute epiglottitis.