Its main function is to "prevent liquids, food and saliva from entering the respiratory tract (ie" going sideways "). For this, during swallowing, the" epiglottis tilts back, temporarily covering the " opening of the larynx and directing the food bolus towards the esophagus and stomach.
The epiglottis can be affected by various pathological conditions, including infections, edema, perichondritis, cysts, congenital malformations, tumors and inflammatory processes.
If the epiglottis does not function properly, there is a risk that some of the food ends up in the lower airways, predisposing to the development of aspiration pneumonia.
, consisting of elastic cartilage and, in part, of fibrous tissue. This structure has a triangular shape, similar to a leaf, rounded at the top (free edge) and narrower at the base (fixed portion). At the lower end, the epiglottis is equipped with a peduncle that allows it to connect to the thyroid cartilage via the thyroid-epiglottic ligament.
The epiglottis separates the tongue from the laryngeal cavity and projects obliquely upwards, almost forming a sort of "valve". Its main function is, in fact, to "prevent" the access of chewed foods inside the airways, in the act of swallowing.
(uneven and median bone located at the root of the tongue, at the level of the fourth cervical vertebra);In the state of rest (ie when the subject does not speak or swallow), the epiglottis is directed obliquely from the bottom to the top and from the front to the back.
