Craniofacial morphology in preschool children with sleep-related breathing disorder and hypertrophy of tonsils.
The purpose of this study was to examine craniofacial morphology, pharyngeal airway space and hyoid bone position in preschool children with sleep-related breathing disorder associated with hypertrophy of tonsils (SBDT). Thirty-eight preschool children, mean age 4.7 y, with SBDT and with an apnoea index (AI) of 0 < AI < 5, were divided into two groups. One consisted of 15 children with sleep-related breathing disorder (SBD) and more than 75% of the tonsils visible (GIII) and the other of 23 children with SBD and 25-75% of the tonsils visible (GII). The control group consisted of 31 children without ear, nose and throat disease and with GI (barely visible) tonsils. Compared with the controls, GIII children had a retrognathic mandible, a large posterior facial height, a large interincisal angle with retroclined lower incisors, a narrow pharyngeal airway space, an anterior tongue base position and a long soft palate. Compared with the controls, GII children had a large anterior lower facial height and a short nasal floor. However, like the controls, GII children did not have a retrognathic mandible.


CONCLUSIONS
The findings show that children with SBDT display a characteristic facial appearance at an early age. Since the condition has an effect on growth, it needs to be prevented by controlling morphology and function at the preschool age.
Kawashima
S
S
Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Institute of Dentistry, University of Turku, Finland. BZP05305@nifty.ne.jp
Peltomäki
T
T
Sakata
H
H
Mori
K
K
Happonen
R P
RP
Rönning
O
O
D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002508:Cephalometry; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005147:Facial Bones / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006984:Hypertrophy; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D009305:Nasopharynx / Q000503:physiopathology*; D014066:Palatine Tonsil / Q000473:pathology*; D011336:Probability; D012016:Reference Values; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D020181:Sleep Apnea, Obstructive / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric