Gender-specific cephalometric features related to obesity in sleep apnea patients: trilogy of soft palate-mandible-hyoid bone

Abstract

Background The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between gender-specific and obesity-related airway anatomy in patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) by using cephalometric analyses.

Methods We retrospectively evaluated 206 patients with suspected OSA undergoing polysomnography and anthropometric measurements such as body mass index, neck circumference, and waist-hip ratio. We checked lateral cephalometry to measure tissue landmarks including angle from A point to nasion to B point (ANB), soft palate length (SPL), soft palate thickness (SPT), retropalatal space (RPS), retrolingual space (RLS), and mandibular plane to hyoid (MPH).

Results Male with OSA showed significantly increased SPL (P = .006) compared with controls. SPL and MPH had significant correlation with apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) and central obesity. Female with OSA showed significantly increased ANB (P = .013) and SPT (P = .004) compared with controls. The receiver operating characteristic curves revealed that SPT in male and ANB and SPT in female were significant in model 1 (AHI ≥ 5) and model 2 (AHI ≥ 15). MPH was also significant for male in model 2.

Conclusion Male and female with OSA had distinct anatomic features of the upper airway and different interactions among soft palate, mandible, and hyoid bone.