Correlation between anthropometric measurements of the oropharyngeal area and severity of apnea in patients with snoring and obstructive sleep apnea

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between severity of apnea and anthropometric oropharyngeal measurements in patients with snoring and obstructive sleep apnea. A total of 22 patients complaining of snoring and apneic spell during sleep were evaluated by polysomnographic and anthropometric measurements of the oropharyngeal area. The horizontal width of the uvula at the mid-point and the length of the uvula were measured using a T-shaped ruler. The distance between the anterior pillars, posterior pillars and retromolar raphes were also measured. The correlation between these anthropometric measurements and polysomnographic parameters including the respiratory disturbance index (RDI) and the lowest arterial O₂ saturation level (lowest SaO₂) of the patients were analyzed. Of the anthropometric measurements, the horizontal width of the uvula showed a significant correlation with RDI and lowest SaO₂. The results of the present study indicate that patients with broader uvula may have severer sleep apnea and that anthropometric oropharyngeal measurements may give additional information to polysomnographic findings for selecting surgical candidates.