Sleep-disordered breathing, pharyngeal size and soft tissue anatomy in children

Title: Sleep-disordered breathing, pharyngeal size and soft tissue anatomy in children

Authors: R.F. Fregosi (1), S.F. Quan (2,5), K.L. Kaimingk (3), W.J. Morgan (1,3,5), J.L. Goodwin (5), R. Cabrera (1), and A. Gmitro (4).
Departments of Physiology (1), Medicine (2), Pediatrics (3), and Radiology (4), and Arizona Respiratory Center (5), University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721
Submitted 20 March 2003; accepted in final form 28 July 2003

Published: J Appl Physiol 95:2030-2038, 2003
First published August 1, 2003; 10.1152/japplphysiol.00293.2003

Summary:
The authors "tested the hypothesis that pharyngeal geometry and soft tissue dimensions correlate with the severity of sleep-disordered breathing. Magnetic resonance images of the pharynx were obtained in 18 awake children, 7-12 yr of age, with obstructive apnea-hypopnea index (OAHI) values ranging from 1.81 to 24.2 events/h. Subjects were divided into low-OAHI (n=9) and high-OAHI (n=9) groups [2.8 +- 0.7 and 13.5 +- 4.9 (SD) P<0.001]."

In the Discussion section the authors stated "Our main findings are that the severity of SDB correlates significantly with the oropharyngeal volume and the size of the tonils and soft palate in the population of male and female children 7-12 yr of age; the pharynx in children with high OAHI values is significantly narrower where the adenoids, tonsils, and soft palate overlap; and the OAHI is inversely and significantly related to the size of the retropalatal air space."