Establishing a Methodology for Ultrasound Evaluation of Pharyngeal Residue in the Pyriform Sinus and Epiglottic Vallecula.

Background: Assessing the presence of pharyngeal residue in the pyriform sinus and epiglottic vallecula is important because insufficient pharyngeal clearance is a risk factor for aspiration pneumonia. Improvements in the performance of ultrasound to visualize the pyriform sinus and epiglottic vallecula are needed. The aim of this study was to establish a method to visualize the pyriform sinus and epiglottic vallecula with ultrasound to detect pharyngeal residue.