[Relationship between adult craniofacial structures and development of obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome].
OBJECTIVE
To explore the influence of adult craniofacial structures on obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS).


METHODS
This study compared the measurements of the height, body weight,neck circumference, the mallampati oropharyngeal score grading, thyromental distance, thyromental angle, lobule-mental distance, mental-lower lip distance of 50 patients with OSAHS with those of 50 controls.


RESULTS
Statistical findings showed that OSAHS patients were different from controls in the following ways: (1) higher neck circumference; (2) larger thyromental angle; (3) higher Mallampati scores; (4) higher body mass index; (5) shorter mental-lower lip distance.


CONCLUSIONS
A crowded posterior oropharynx and a steep thyromental plane are associated with OSAHS. The adult craniofacial structures of bony and soft tissue determine the dimension of upper airway during sleep andpaly an important role in the development of OSAHS.
Fan
Yuqin
Y
Department of Otolaryngology, the First Affiliated Hospital, Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, 830054, China.
Liu
Lizhong
L
D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002508:Cephalometry; D005152:Facial Muscles / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012886:Skull / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D020181:Sleep Apnea, Obstructive / Q000209:etiology*