[Radiographic anomalies and obstructive sleep apnea syndrome].

BACKGROUND

The purpose of this study was to identify the particular cranio-facial pattern observed in patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome and to search for possible correlations between morphological anomalies and disease severity.

MATERIAL AND

METHODS

The study group included 49 dentate patients, mean age 47.7 years suffering from obstructive sleep apnea syndrome. Most of the patients were overweight.

RESULTS

Typical features observed in these patients were a short craniospinal field, a retro-maxillary, a retro-mandibula, antero-inferior vertical excess of the face, and class II malocclusion. No correlation between severity of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome and craniofacial morphology could be identified.

DISCUSSION: These results are in agreement with data in the literature. The absence of a morphological correlation appears to be related to the type of patients studied (overweight). Indeed, two categories of sleep apnea patients have been identified: obese patients who have few or no anomalies of the facial skeleton and thin patients with characteristic open bite class II malocclusion.