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Upper airway morphological changes in obstructive sleep apnoea: effect of age on pharyngeal anatomy

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 April 2020

F Gao ,
Y R Li ,
W Xu ,
Y S An ,
H J Wang ,
J F Xian  and
D M Han
F Gao
Affiliation:
Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Ministry of Education, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China Key Laboratory of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Ministry of Education, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
Y R Li
Affiliation:
Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Ministry of Education, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China Key Laboratory of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Ministry of Education, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
W Xu
Affiliation:
Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Ministry of Education, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China Key Laboratory of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Ministry of Education, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
Y S An
Affiliation:
Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Ministry of Education, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China Key Laboratory of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Ministry of Education, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
H J Wang
Affiliation:
Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Ministry of Education, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China Key Laboratory of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Ministry of Education, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
J F Xian
Affiliation:
Radiology, Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
D M Han*
Affiliation:
Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Ministry of Education, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China Key Laboratory of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Ministry of Education, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
*
Author for correspondence: Prof Han Demin, Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University, No. 8 Chongwenmen Inner Street, Dongcheng District, Beijing, China E-mail: handeminent@163.com
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Abstract

Objective

To evaluate the upper airway morphology changes associated with ageing in adult Chinese patients with obstructive sleep apnoea.

Methods

A total of 124 male patients diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnoea by overnight polysomnography, who underwent upper airway computed tomography, were enrolled. The linear dimensions, cross-sectional area and volume of the upper airway region and the surrounding bony frame were measured. The association between ageing and upper airway morphology was analysed.

Results

Soft palate length, minimum cross-sectional area of the retroglossal region, lateral dimensions at the minimum cross-sectional area of the retropalatal and retroglossal regions, nasopharyngeal volume, and average cross-sectional area of the nasopharyngeal region were found to significantly increase with ageing in all patients, while the upper airway shape flattened with ageing. The volume of the retropalatal region increased with ageing among the patients with a body mass index of less than 24 kg/m2. The volume of parapharyngeal fat pad increased with ageing among patients with a body mass index greater than 28 kg/m2.

Conclusion

A number of dimensional, cross-sectional and volumetric parameters of the pharynx increased with age, indicating that non-anatomical factors may play a more important role in the pathogenesis of obstructive sleep apnoea in aged patients.

Keywords

Obstructive Sleep ApneaAgingUpper Airway Resistance Sleep Apnea SyndromeComputed TomographyX-Ray
Type
Main Articles
Information
The Journal of Laryngology & Otology , Volume 134 , Issue 4 , April 2020 , pp. 354 - 361
Copyright
Copyright © JLO (1984) Limited, 2020

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Footnotes

Prof H Demin takes responsibility for the integrity of the content of the paper

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