title: Endoscopic classification of pharyngeal stenosis pattern in obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome.
abstract: Twenty-one patients with obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS) were classified into three categories according to their pharyngeal stenosis patterns during sleep, as determined from endoscopic findings: (i) a falling type (n = 6); (ii) an all-round type (n = 11); and (iii) a bilateral type (n = 4). In all patients with the bilateral type, the palatine tonsils were hypertrophied, and the apnea-hypopnea indexes (AHI) were improved markedly by surgery. Conversely, the AHI of patients with the falling and all-round types were reduced by a smaller percentage. Surgical therapy is only to be recommended to patients with OSAHS whose pharynx is bilaterally stenotic.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Faculty of Medicine, Tottori University, Yonago, Japan. micchi@grape.med.tottori-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Shigeru
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Higami
authors.forename: Yuichi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Inoue
authors.forename: Yumiko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Higami
authors.forename: Hiromi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Takeuchi
authors.forename: Hisaaki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ikoma
mesh_terms: D003251:Constriction, Pathologic / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004724:Endoscopy / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D010614:Pharynx / Q000503:physiopathology*; D020181:Sleep Apnea, Obstructive / Q000145:classification* / Q000175:diagnosis*