Sleep apnea syndrome: comparison of MR imaging of the oropharynx with physiologic indexes.
OBJECTIVE
To compare magnetic resonance (MR) imaging of the oropharynx in patients with sleep apnea syndrome with fiberoptic nasopharyngoscopy, and oropharyngeal pressure and apnea index values.


METHODS
After sleep induction, 24 patients with sleep apnea syndrome and nine patients with non-sleep-apnea snoring underwent MR imaging and fiberoptic nasopharyngoscopy combined with subsequent measurement of oropharyngeal pressure. Patients were previously classified with apnea index values obtained at polysomnography. MR imaging and fiberoptic nasopharyngoscopic findings of severity and location of oropharyngeal abnormalities were compared. Oropharyngeal pressure and apnea index values were also compared with MR findings.


RESULTS
A statistically significant correlation was observed between MR and fiberoptic nasopharyngoscopic findings (r = .931; P < .0001). The degree of decompression in oropharyngeal pressure and apnea index values in the multiple-site abnormality group were statistically significantly higher than those in the single-site abnormality group.


CONCLUSIONS
MR imaging is useful for localization of sites of oropharyngeal abnormalities and for evaluation of the severity of apnea.
Department of Radiology, Tottori University School of Medicine, Yonago, Japan.
Y
Y
Suto
E
E
Matsuda
Y
Y
Inoue
T
T
Suzuki
Y
Y
Ohta
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004724:Endoscopy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009960:Oropharynx / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D017286:Polysomnography; D011312:Pressure; D012891:Sleep Apnea Syndromes / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology