Ultrasonic imaging of the tongue, mouth, and vocal cords in normal children: establishment of basic scanning positions.

We examined the soft tissue anatomy of the tongue, mouth, and vocal cords in 25 healthy children by ultrasonography, and established basic scanning positions for these organs. In the tongue and the mouth--four scanning positions: the midline sagittal, the paramidline sagittal, the anterior coronal, and the posterior coronal--covered major anatomical components. We could delineate vocal cords in all subjects by transverse scanning on the thyroid cartilage. Although disorders associated with the tongue, floor of the mouth, and vocal cords are less frequent in children, one should recognize normal ultrasound findings to distinguish them from abnormalities.