The epiglottic vallecula is a depression (vallecula), also known as "Amos's space" just behind the root of the tongue between the folds in the throat. These depressions serve as "spit traps"; saliva is temporarily held in the valleculae to prevent initiation of the swallowing reflex.
It is frequently an important landmark in intubation, where the blade-tip of a Macintosh-style laryngoscope is placed to facilitate direct visualization of the glottis.
This article was originally based on an entry from a public domain edition of Gray's Anatomy. As such, some of the information contained within it may be outdated.
