[Cephalometric analysis of the craniofacial bony structures in patients with obstructive sleep apnea].
OBJECTIVE
To explore the craniofacial bony structure abnormalities and their possible contributions to the apneic severity in patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).


METHODS
One-night polysomnographic examination and a lateral cephalogram were performed in 102 male OSA patients and 37 healthy men. Sixteen variables representing craniofacial angle, distances and areas were measured by a computer software (NIH Image).


RESULTS
Compared with normal subjects, OSA patients presented with: a shortened cranial base (71 +/- 4) mm: (74 +/- 3) mm, (P < 0.001), maxillum (52 +/- 5) mm: (55 +/- 4) mm, (P < 0.01), mandible (74 +/- 5) mm: (77 +/- 6) mm, (P < 0.05) and bony nasopharygeal airway dimensions, a more inferiorly and anteriorly placed hyoid bone, and retrognathia deformity. Multiple stepwise regression analysis disclosed that maxilla deficiency, retrognathia and hyoid bone misposition were important contributing factors to the apneic severity (R2 = 0.447, F = 15.471, P < 0.0001).


CONCLUSIONS
OSA patients had certain craniofacial bony structure defects and cephalometric analysis of these defects is useful both in the investigation of the pathogenesis and the selection of an optimel treatment modality for each OSA patients.
Tong
M
M
Department of Respiratory Diseases, Nanjing Military General Hospital, Nanjing 210002.
Xia
X
X
Cao
E
E
D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D002508:Cephalometry / Q000379:methods; D019465:Craniofacial Abnormalities / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D005147:Facial Bones / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D012044:Regression Analysis; D020181:Sleep Apnea, Obstructive / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology