Dentomaxillofacial Radiology, Vol 23, Issue 4 211-215, Copyright © 1994 by British Institute of Radiology

ARTICLES

B-mode ultrasound scanning of the tongue during swallowing

R. A. Fuhrmann and P. R. Diedrich
Department of Orthodontics, University of Aachen, Germany.

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the ability of video-based dynamic B-mode ultrasound in differentiating normal from abnormal swallowing. Tongue position at rest and during the oral phase of swallowing was examined with a 5 MHz transducer placed under the chin in 60 subjects aged between 6 and 33 years. 40 patients with abnormal tongue movement or swallowing were compared with a control group of 20 adults with Angle Class I occlusion without any signs of dysfunctional tongue activity. The ultrasound sequences were videotaped and the movement of the tongue in swallowing a 2 ml water bolus analysed qualitatively. An abnormal swallowing pattern was demonstrated in 19 patients. Those with an Angle Class III malocclusion had the highest rate of abnormal swallowing. Video-based ultrasound scanning in the sagittal plane seems to be a useful screening method for the diagnosis of poor tongue coordination during swallowing, especially for the imaging of tongue thrust in children.

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