Wenqiang Fang MD, Presenter: Nothing to Disclose

Kemin Chen MD, PhD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Zilai Pan MD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Shili Wang MD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

To evaluate the upper airway patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome while they were awake, sleep and apenic by means of multi-slice spiral CT scan combined with multi-planar reconstruction technique (MPR) and analyse its value in pre-operative topodiagnosis.

Twenty patients with OSAS underwent multi-slice spiral CT scan while awake and during sleep apnea episodes under the monitoring of capnography, eighteen age-matched normal subjects were selected as the control group.

The pharyngeal cross-sectional area of OSAS patients was smaller than that of normal subjects, mainly at the velopharynx and tongue-pharynx. This difference became greater when patients were asleep and apenic, particularly at the tongue-pharynx. All patients had obstructive changes at the velopharynx and 65% of them had both velopharynx and tongue-pharynx airway abnormalities.

Scanning and calculation of the upper airway with MSCT may show the obstructive lesions in the anatomic and physiologic state and provide more accurate information of localizing the upper airway obstruction sites in patients with OSAS. The results can be used for selection of appropriate therapy and prediction of surgical outcome.

MSCT study of upper airway obstruction sites in patients with OSAS permits to observe the stenosis of UA effectively, and have reference value in guiding the clinical diagnosis and treatment.

Fang, W, Chen, K, Pan, Z, Wang, S, Multislice Spiral CT Study of Upper Airway Obstruction Sites in Patients with Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome.  Radiological Society of North America 2006 Scientific Assembly and Annual Meeting, November 26 - December 1, 2006 ,Chicago IL. http://archive.rsna.org/2006/4437128.html