What radiographic sign is associated with epiglottitis?

What radiographic sign is associated with epiglottitis?

• A. Thumbprint sign
• B. Double ring sign
• C. Steeple sign
• D. Ground glass sign

Answer: (A)

Epiglottitis causes swelling of the epiglottis, which on a lateral neck radiograph appears as a rounded, enlarged soft-tissue shadow protruding into the airway. This look, resembling a thumbprint, is the classic radiographic clue and directly reflects the epiglottic edema that risks airway obstruction. Hence the thumbprint sign is the best indicator for this condition. The steeple sign is associated with croup and shows subglottic narrowing on an anterior-posterior view, not epiglottic enlargement. The other terms are not the standard descriptions for epiglottitis and do not reliably indicate this diagnosis, so they don’t fit as well.

Epiglottitis causes swelling of the epiglottis, which on a lateral neck radiograph appears as a rounded, enlarged soft-tissue shadow protruding into the airway. This look, resembling a thumbprint, is the classic radiographic clue and directly reflects the epiglottic edema that risks airway obstruction. Hence the thumbprint sign is the best indicator for this condition.

The steeple sign is associated with croup and shows subglottic narrowing on an anterior-posterior view, not epiglottic enlargement. The other terms are not the standard descriptions for epiglottitis and do not reliably indicate this diagnosis, so they don’t fit as well.