J Korean Med Sci.  2004 Oct;19(5):662-667. 10.3346/jkms.2004.19.5.662.

Predictive Value of Kushida Index and Acoustic Pharyngometry for the Evaluation of Upper Airway in Subjects With or Without Obstructive Sleep Apnea

• Jung DG
• Cho HY
• Grunstein
• Yee B

• KMID: 1733505
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3346/jkms.2004.19.5.662

Abstract

Acoustic pharyngometry is a relatively new noninvasive method that quantifies geometrically complexed pharyngeal dimensions. Our study aimed to investigate the predictability and usefulness of acoustic pharyngometry in diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), and we developed a prospective clinical trial in 16 subjects without apnea and 54 subjects with apnea. All seventy subjects received polysomnography (PSG) to assess the sleep architecture, including breathing and the degree of apnea hypopnea index. Acoustic pharyngometry was performed in four body positions (sitting, supine, right and left lateral) while awake with tidal breathing in addition to morphometric measurements (Kushida index) of oral cavity. This study shows that the cross-sectional area and volume of the upper airway is smaller in the supine position than any other positions. As well, the oropharyngeal junction area of the supine position is the most predictive parameter to discriminate between subjects with or without OSA. Acoustic pharyngometry can be a clinically useful tool for localizing the narrowed portion of the upper airway and predicting obstructive sleep apnea.

Keyword

Acoustic Pharyngometry; Upper Airway; Kushida Index; Predictive Value of Tests; Sleep Apnea, Obstructive

MeSH Terms

*Acoustics
Adult
Aged
Female
Humans
Male
Middle Aged
Mouth/*pathology
Pharynx/*pathology
Polysomnography
Predictive Value of Tests
Prospective Studies
Sleep Apnea, Obstructive/*pathology
Supine Position

Figure

• 

  Fig. 1 Representative output of the acoustic pharyngometry. There are 5 parameters on graph as shown in arrow and thick line. OPJ, oropharyngeal junction area; Apmax, maximum pharyngeal area; GL, glottic area; Apmean, mean pharyngeal area from OPJ to GL; Vp, pharyngeal volume as the integrated area under the curve between the OPJ and the GL. All the parameters were calculated by computer system.

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