Egophony (British: Aegophony) is an increased resonance of voice sounds^[1] heard when auscultating the lungs, often caused by lung consolidation and fibrosis. It is due to enhanced transmission of high-frequency noise across fluid, such as in abnormal lung tissue, with lower frequencies filtered out. It results in a high-pitched nasal or bleating quality in the affected person's voice.

Contents 1 Technique 2 Related techniques 3 Etymology 4 References

[edit] Technique

While listening to the lungs with a stethoscope, the patient is asked to say the letter "e." What is heard is a higher pitched sound that sounds like the letter "a." (Some doctors refer to this as "e to a changes.") Most commonly, this indicates pneumonia.

In the UK it is conventional on respiratory examination to auscultate the chest while asking the patient to repeat the word "ninety-nine". There is, however, regional variation with medical students and doctors from Edinburgh preferring the phrase "one-one-one" due to its more rounded sound.

[edit] Related techniques

Similar terms are bronchophony and whispered pectoriloquy. The mechanism is the same: fluid or consolidation causes the sound of the voice to be transmitted loudly to the periphery of the lungs where it is usually not heard.

[edit] Etymology

Egophony comes from the Greek word for "goat," (aix, aig-) in reference to the bleating quality of the sound. ^[2]

[edit] References

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v • d • e Symptoms and signs: respiratory system (R04-R07, 786) Hemorrhage Epistaxis · Hemoptysis Abnormalities of breathing Respiratory sounds: Stridor · Wheeze · Rales · Rhonchi · Hamman's sign Dyspnea · Hyperventilation/Hypoventilation · Hyperpnea/Tachypnea/Bradypnea · Orthopnea/Platypnea Biot's respiration · Cheyne-Stokes respiration · Kussmaul breathing Hiccup · Mouth breathing/Snoring Other Asphyxia · Cough · Pleurisy · Sputum Respiratory arrest · Hypercapnia/Hypocapnia Pectoriloquy: Whispered pectoriloquy · Egophony · Bronchophony Pleural friction rub Fremitus Chest, general Chest pain respiratory system navs: anat nose,larynx/lower+thoracic cavity/physio/dev, noncongen/congen/tumors, symptoms+signs/eponymous, proc