A controlled study of the upper airway structure and function in patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome and normal adults.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the major factors associated with the development of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) by logistic step regression analysis.

METHOD: Fifty-nine patients with OSAS and 57 normal adults were included in the study. The dependent was whether the subject had OSAS, and the independents included age, sex, body mass index (BMI), as well as the measured data of palate, uvula, lingua and epiglottis by CT scan. Logistic regression was performed by using SPSS software.

RESULTS

Among 40 independents, 8 were chosen by logistic regression as the major factors associated with the risk of developing OSAS. These factors were the increase of pharyngeal wall resilience in the uvula region, the thickness of the retropharyngeal soft tissue in the uvula and palate region, the increase of genioglossus width, the decrease of cross section of the palate region, the decrease of the coronal diameter of the uvula and lingual region, and a narrowed diameter of the uvula region.

CONCLUSION

The results suggest that anatomic changes of the upper airway at different levels and an increase of the pharyngeal wall resilience in the uvula region are major etiological factors for OSAS.