title: Craniofacial and pharyngeal airway morphology in patients with acromegaly.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to assess differences in craniofacial characteristics, upper spine and pharyngeal airway morphology in patients with acromegaly compared with healthy individuals.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-one patients with acromegaly were compared with 22 controls by linear and angular measurements on cephalograms. The differences between the mean values of cephalometric parameters were analyzed with Mann-Whitney U-test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  With respect to controls, anterior (p<0.05), middle (p<0.01) and posterior (p<0.05) cranial base lengths were increased, sella turcica was enlarged (p<0.001) and upper spine morphology demonstrated differences in the height of atlas (p<0.01) and axis (p<0.05) in patients with acromegaly. Craniofacial changes were predominantly found in the frontal bone (p<0.01) and the mandible (p<0.05). As for the airway, patients with acromegaly exhibited diminished dimensions at nasal (p<0.001), uvular (p<0.01), mandibular (p<0.01) pharyngeal levels and at the narrowest point of the pharyngeal airway space (p<0.001) compared to healthy controls. Soft palate width was significantly higher (p<0.001) and the hyoid bone was more vertically positioned (p<0.01) in patients with acromegaly.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Current results point to the importance of the reduced airway dimensions and that dentists and/or orthodontists should be aware of the cranial or dental abnormalities in patients with acromegaly.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthodontics, Faculty of Dentistry.
authors.forename: Burcu
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Balos Tuncer
authors.forename: Nehir
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Canigur Bavbek
authors.forename: Cigdem
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ozkan
authors.forename: Cumhur
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tuncer
authors.forename: Alev
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Eroglu Altinova
authors.forename: Kahraman
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Gungor
authors.forename: Mujde
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Akturk
authors.forename: Fusun
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Balos Toruner
mesh_terms: D000172:Acromegaly / Q000473:pathology*; D000328:Adult; D001368:Axis, Cervical Vertebra / Q000473:pathology; D002508:Cephalometry / Q000379:methods; D001270:Cervical Atlas / Q000473:pathology; D005147:Facial Bones / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D005624:Frontal Bone / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D006928:Hyoid Bone / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008334:Mandible / Q000473:pathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009295:Nasal Bone / Q000473:pathology; D010160:Palate, Soft / Q000473:pathology; D010614:Pharynx / Q000473:pathology*; D012658:Sella Turcica / Q000473:pathology; D012886:Skull / Q000473:pathology*; D019291:Skull Base / Q000473:pathology; D014609:Uvula / Q000473:pathology; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: acromegaly; craniofacial morphology; pharyngeal airway; upper spine morphology