title: Evaluation of soft palate changes using sleep videofluoroscopy in patients with obstructive sleep apnea.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To quantitatively evaluate the changes in the soft palate (SP) by sleep videofluoroscopy (SVF).
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective analysis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Academic tertiary referral center.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 63 consecutive patients with snoring or sleep apnea (53 with obstructive sleep apnea [OSA] and 10 simple snorers).
  
  
  METHODS
  All the subjects underwent SVF and nocturnal polysomnography. Sleep videofluoroscopy was performed before and after sleep induction by intravenous injection of low-dose midazolam (2 mg per person) and was recorded during 3 kinds of events: awake, normoxygenation sleep, and desaturation sleep events.
  
  
  METHODS
  Changes in SP length and the angle between inspiratory and expiratory efforts in each group were evaluated according to sleep events; changes in the SP was assessed according to obstruction sites and severity of OSA.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Desaturation sleep events were detected in all patients with OSA but not in simple snorers. In awake events, inspiratory efforts increased the length and angle of the SP in patients with OSA but not in simple snorers. Elongation and angulation were greatest during desaturation sleep events and least during awake events. In normoxygenation events, changes in the SP were significantly larger in patients with OSA than in simple snorers (P < .01 for SP length; P = .03 for SP angle). Elongation of the SP was the biggest in SP-type obstruction.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Sleep videofluoroscopy quantitatively showed that the SP was considerably elongated and angulated in patients with OSA even in an awake state. It is an easy way to measure the SP changes and may be a useful technique to differentiate OSA from simple snoring with short examination time.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, 300 Gumi-dong Bundang-gu, Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do 464-707, South Korea.
authors.forename: Chul Hee
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Ji-Hun
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Mo
authors.forename: Bong Jik
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Il Gyu
authors.initials: IG
authors.lastname: Kong
authors.forename: In Young
authors.initials: IY
authors.lastname: Yoon
authors.forename: Seockhoon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.forename: Jae-Hyung
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Jeong-Whun
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D005471:Fluoroscopy; D006801:Humans; D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives / Q000494:pharmacology; D008297:Male; D008874:Midazolam / Q000494:pharmacology; D008875:Middle Aged; D010160:Palate, Soft / Q000503:physiopathology*; D017286:Polysomnography; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012890:Sleep / Q000502:physiology*; D020181:Sleep Apnea, Obstructive / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012913:Snoring / Q000503:physiopathology; D014741:Video Recording
chemical_list: D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives; D008874:Midazolam