Obstructive Sleep Apnoea Hypopnoea Syndrome and the Cranio Facio-hyoid Morphology in Adults: Linear and Angular Measurements

Abstract

Abstract: The gold standard for diagnosis of Obstructive Sleep Apnoea Hypopnoea Syndrome is the polysomnography which is expensive and time consuming. The development of alternative diagnostic methods would therefore appear to be a worthy goal, and indeed this subject has received a great deal of attention within the recent literature.

Aim: To determine if there are significant differences in cranio-facio-hyoid form between the OSAHS and the controls and to suggest possible skeletal morphology for the OSAHS patients.

Materials and Methods: Sixty five lateral cephalometric radiographs of subjects (white Caucasian males aged between 40-65 years) who had been referred to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary Sleep Centre for polysomnographic testing were retrospectively selected at random between September to December 2002.

Results: Statistically significant correlations of clinical interest were found when measuring linear and angular variables between the subjects and the control which explains the severity of the disease.

Conclusion: Subjects with OSAHS demonstrated significant alterations in craniofacio-hyoid form that may reduce the upper airway dimensions and subsequently impair upper airway stability and function.