The Relationship between Obstructive Sleep Apnoea hypopnoea Syndrome and the Cranio-Cervical Morphology in Adults: Angular Measurements

Abstract

Objective: Obstructive Sleep Apnoea Hypopnoea Syndrome (OSAHS) is a potentially life-threatening breathing disorder, caused by repeated upper airway occlusion during sleep. The gold standard for diagnosis is the polysomnography which is expensive.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-cervical morphology between the OSAHS and the controls and to suggest possible skeletal morphology for the OSAHS patients.

Material and method: Sixty five lateral cephalometric radiographs of subjects (white Caucasian males aged between 35-65 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 were found when measuring angular variables between the OSAHS subjects and the control group. Investigation of the angular relationship between the measurements and the OSAHS severity, revealed significant results of clinical interest.

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