title: Pharyngeal aerodynamic characteristics of obstructive sleep apnea/hypopnea syndrome patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The role of nasal obstruction in the pathogenesis of obstructive sleep apnea/hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS) has been debated for decades. In this prospective study, we compared the pharyngeal aerodynamic characteristics of OSAHS patients and normal people, and investigated the contribution of total nasal airway resistance to the pathophysiology of OSAHS.
  
  
  METHODS
  Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) was used to extract the average pressure and average airflow velocity in three transverse cross-sectional planes of the pharynx for statistical analysis, and the correlation between nasal resistance and the average pressure in the pharyngeal cavity was investigated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The negative pressure within the pharyngeal cavity was significantly higher in OSAHS patients than in normal subjects, and total nasal airway resistance correlated well with the average pressure in three consecutive transverse cross-sections of the pharyngeal cavity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Greater negative pressure within the pharyngeal cavity contributed to the increased collapsibility of the pharynx in OSAHS patients, and the strong correlation between nasal resistance and pharyngeal pressure suggests that the nose plays a role in the pathogenesis of OSAHS.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Key Laboratory of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery (Ministry of Education), Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100730, China.
authors.forename: Hong-Rui
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Zang
authors.forename: Li-Feng
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Bing
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Yun-Chuan
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Tong
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: De-Min
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Han
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010614:Pharynx / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D020181:Sleep Apnea, Obstructive / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*