| Summary: | Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a potentially life-threatening condition in
which a patient suffers periodic cessations of breathing during sleep.
The aim of this study is to develop a data base on the craniofacial
morphology of the upper airway morphology and skeletal patterns in PJ!tients with
OSA and compare the findings with those of normal subjects. Twenty-five subjects
a.s OSA patients and twenty-five as the control group were selected from the Sleep
Laboratory by using, Polysomnography. The subjects were adults age ranging 18- .
65 years. Measurements of the body mass index (BMI), neck circumference, lateral
cephalometric X-ray, posterior-anterior X2ray, and upper and lower dental study
models were taken. CT scan were prescribed for severe OSA cases.
The results showed that th~ BMI, length of soft palate, width of soft palate,
width of tongue, upper posterior airway space, middle posterior airway space,
lower posterior airway space, distance from hyoid bone to mandibular plane,
distance from hyoid bone to posterior nasal spine, maxillary width, the neck
circumference and cranial base flexure angle significantly increased (P <.001) in
OSA patients. The CT scan shown that severe OSA patients have narrowing of
pharyox at the level of nasopharynx, oropharynx, and hypopharynx.
In conc;lusicm •. trul knowledge of craniofacial morphological differences in
OSA patient will facilitate clinical management.
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