[Morphological comparative imaging study of the pharynx in patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAP), healthy snorers and controls].

A morphological study was made of the pharynx of 106 subjects, including obese and non-obese patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS), obese and non-obese healthy snorers and controls. A CT scan was made of each subject and the luminal area was measured on all sections. The influence of obesity on airway size was determined. Airway lumina generally were narrower in patients with OSAS, of intermediate size in healthy snorers, and widest in controls. Luminal narrowing was the result of increased pharyngeal wall thickness and directly related to the degree of obesity. This pattern was evident throughout the pharynx, except for the hypopharynx, where the airway size was similar in all the patients studied.