Utility of the modified Mallampati grade and Friedman tongue position in the assessment of obstructive sleep apnea.

STUDY OBJECTIVES

The modified Mallampati (MM) grade and Friedman tongue position (FTP) are commonly used scales that assess the oropharynx during evaluation for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Though used by many practitioners, there is controversy in the literature regarding their practical utility. The goal of this review will be to review the history of how the MM and FTP were developed, to discuss current evidence for their usefulness in the workup of OSA, and to provide future direction to better understand their utility in the workup of OSA.

METHODS

We searched the literature (PubMed) for the terms "modified Mallampati" and "Friedman tongue position." Articles were selected based on our study objectives emphasizing articles discussing the utility of MM and FTP in managing OSA.

CONCLUSIONS

MM and FTP have the potential to be useful assessment tools in the evaluation of OSA. When performing this examination, it is important for physicians and other medical providers to understand the pitfalls of the MM and FTP including the potential difficulty in performing the exam and the lack of consistency between examiners in both the terminology and execution of this physical exam finding. Better methods to standardize the assessment are necessary to ensure consistent evaluation among individual examiners while at the same time keeping the method simple and convenient for wide use as a clinical screening tool.