title: Pharyngeal airway analysis in obese and non-obese patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Sleep disorders are a group of disorders characterized by abnormalities of respiration during sleep. OSA (Obstructive Sleep Apnea) is characterized by the repetitive episodes of complete or partial collapse of the upper airway during sleep, causing a cessation or a significant reduction of airflow.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study population consisted of 30 control patients (AHI ≤ 5) events per hour, 74 patients with OSAS, including 34 Obese (BMI ≥ 27) and 40 non-obese (BMI ≤ 27). Polysomnography and measurements of 21 cephalometric variables were carried out for all patients with OSAS.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Obese patient with OSAS showed significant difference in following cephalometric parameters: (1) PAS (2) MPT (3) MPH (4) PNS-P (5) SAS. In addition, obese patient had longer tongue (TGL), more anteriorly displaced hyoid bones (H-VL) and more anterior displacement of mandible (G-VL) when compared with control groups. The findings of non-obese patients when compared to controls showed all the findings of obese patients and in addition to that narrow bony oropharynx were significant. Step wise regression analysis showed the significant predictors for all patients were MPH, PNS-P, bony nasopharynx (PNSBa), MPT, and palatal length (ANS-PNS) for AHI. The significant predictors for obese OSA (obstructive sleep apnea) group were MAS while for non-obese OSA group ANS-PNS was significant predictor for AHI (apnea-hypopnea index).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Craniofacial landmarks such as increase in hyoid distance, longer tongue and soft palate with increased thickness and narrowing of superior pharyngeal, oropharyngeal and hypopharyngeal airway space may be important risk factors for development of OSAS.
authors: Graded Specialist (Orthodontics), Command Military Dental Centre (Central Command), Lucknow, India.
authors: Amrit
authors: A
authors: Thapa
authors: Consultant (Orthodontics), Army Dental Centre (R&R), Delhi, India.
authors: B
authors: B
authors: Jayan
authors: Assistant Professor (Orthodontics), Dept of Dental Surg, Armed Forces Medical College, Pune 411040, India.
authors: K
authors: K
authors: Nehra
authors: Graded Specialist (Orthodontics), Command Military Dental Centre (Central Command), Lucknow, India.
authors: S S
authors: SS
authors: Agarwal
authors: Lecturer (Statistics & Demography), Dept of Community Medicine, Armed Forces Medical College, Pune 411040, India.
authors: Seema
authors: S
authors: Patrikar
authors: Senior Advisor (Pulmonary and Sleep Medicine), Military Hosp (Cardio Thoracic Centre), Pune 411040, India.
authors: D
authors: D
authors: Bhattacharya
keywords: OSA; Obstructive sleep apnea; Pharyngeal dimensions in OSA