Radiology, Vol 201, 393-398, Copyright © 1996 by Radiological Society of North America

ARTICLES

Sleep apnea syndrome: comparison of MR imaging of the oropharynx with physiologic indexes

Y Suto, E Matsuda, Y Inoue, T Suzuki and Y Ohta
Department of Radiology, Tottori University School of Medicine, Yonago, Japan.

PURPOSE: To compare magnetic resonance (MR) imaging of the oropharynx in patients with sleep apnea syndrome with fiberoptic nasopharyngoscopy, and oropharyngeal pressure and apnea index values. MATERIALS AND METHODS: After sleep induction, 24 patients with sleep apnea syndrome and nine patients with non-sleep-apnea snoring underwent MR imaging and fiberoptic nasopharyngoscopy combined with subsequent measurement of oropharyngeal pressure. Patients were previously classified with apnea index values obtained at polysomnography. MR imaging and fiberoptic nasopharyngoscopic findings of severity and location of oropharyngeal abnormalities were compared. Oropharyngeal pressure and apnea index values were also compared with MR findings. RESULTS: A statistically significant correlation was observed between MR and fiberoptic nasopharyngoscopic findings (r = .931; P < .0001). The degree of decompression in oropharyngeal pressure and apnea index values in the multiple-site abnormality group were statistically significantly higher than those in the single-site abnormality group. CONCLUSION: MR imaging is useful for localization of sites of oropharyngeal abnormalities and for evaluation of the severity of apnea.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				L. F. Donnelly Obstructive Sleep Apnea in Pediatric Patients: Evaluation with Cine MR Sleep Studies Radiology, September 1, 2005; 236(3): 768 - 778. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. B. Abbott, L. F. Donnelly, B. J. Dardzinski, S. A. Poe, B. A. Chini, and R. S. Amin Obstructive Sleep Apnea: MR Imaging Volume Segmentation Analysis Radiology, September 1, 2004; 232(3): 889 - 895. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				L. F. Donnelly, S. R. Shott, C. R. LaRose, B. A. Chini, and R. S. Amin Causes of Persistent Obstructive Sleep Apnea Despite Previous Tonsillectomy and Adenoidectomy in Children with Down Syndrome as Depicted on Static and Dynamic Cine MRI Am. J. Roentgenol., July 1, 2004; 183(1): 175 - 181. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				L. F. Donnelly, V. Surdulescu, B. A. Chini, K. A. Casper, S. A. Poe, and R. S. Amin Upper Airway Motion Depicted at Cine MR Imaging Performed during Sleep: Comparison between Young Patients with and Those without Obstructive Sleep Apnea Radiology, April 1, 2003; 227(1): 239 - 245. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				L. F. Donnelly, K. A. Casper, and B. Chen Correlation on Cine MR Imaging of Size of Adenoid and Palatine Tonsils with Degree of Upper Airway Motion in Asymptomatic Sedated Children Am. J. Roentgenol., August 1, 2002; 179(2): 503 - 508. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				L. F. Donnelly, K. A. Casper, B. Chen, and B. L. Koch Defining Normal Upper Airway Motion in Asymptomatic Children during Sleep by Means of Cine MR Techniques Radiology, April 1, 2002; 223(1): 176 - 180. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. J. MORRELL, Y. ARABI, B. ZAHN, and M. S. BADR Progressive Retropalatal Narrowing Preceding Obstructive Apnea Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med., December 1, 1998; 158(6): 1974 - 1981. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				F. J. TRUDO, W. B. GEFTER, K. C. WELCH, K. B. GUPTA, G. MAISLIN, and R. J. SCHWAB State-related Changes in Upper Airway Caliber and Surrounding Soft-Tissue Structures in Normal Subjects Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med., October 1, 1998; 158(4): 1259 - 1270. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]