Korean J Otorhinolaryngol-Head Neck Surg.  2007 Sep;50(9):779-783.

Comparison of Polysomnographic Findings according to Obstruction Sites in Obstructive Sleep Apnea Patients

• Moon SJ
• Lee CH
• Han DH
• Kong IG
• Kim SH
• Yoon IY
• Chung SH
• Rhee CS
• Min YG
• Kim DY
• Kim JH

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study is to identify differences in polysomnographic findings according to the upper airway obstruction level in patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).
SUBJECTS AND METHOD
Eighty-four patients with OSA were included in this study. Every patient underwent polysomnography (PSG) and upper airway pressure measurement using a four-sensor catheter simultaneously. The catheter was positioned at the posterior nasal cavity, uvula tip, tip of the epiglottis, and mid-esophagus level, which was inserted through the nasal cavity down to the esophagus. The patients were categorized into two groups of single site obstruction and multi-site obstruction.
RESULTS
Twenty-one patients showed single site obstruction and sixtythree patients showed multi-site obstruction. Apnea-hypopnea index, apnea index, and minimal oxygen saturation showed statistically significant differences between two groups. There was no difference in bony mass index (BMI).
CONCLUSION
Upper airway pressure measurement can be a method to evaluate the upper airway obstruction site. This study shows that OSA patients with multisite obstruction have severer sleep apnea than those with single site obstruction.

Keyword

Sleep apnea; Polysomnography; Apnea level; Airway pressure recording

MeSH Terms

Airway Obstruction
Apnea
Catheters
Epiglottis
Esophagus
Humans
Nasal Cavity
Oxygen
Polysomnography
Sleep Apnea Syndromes
Sleep Apnea, Obstructive*
Uvula
Oxygen