Clinical and anatomical characteristics associated with obstructive sleep apnea severity in children

Abstract Purpose To determine the clinical and anatomical characteristics associated with obstructive sleep apnea severity in children with adenotonsillar hypertrophy. Methods The authors conducted a cross-sectional multidisciplinary survey and selected 58 Brazilian children (4‒9 years old) with adenotonsillar hypertrophy, parental complaints of snoring, mouth-breathing, and witnessed apnea episodes. The authors excluded children with known genetic, craniofacial, neurological, or psychiatric conditions. Children with a parafunctional habit or early dental loss and those receiving orthodontic treatment were not selected. All children underwent polysomnography, and three were excluded because they showed an apnea-hypopnea index lower than one or minimal oxygen saturation higher than 92%. The sample consisted of 55 children classified into mild (33 children) and moderate/severe (22 children) obstructive sleep apnea groups. Detailed clinical and anatomical evaluations were performed, and anthropometric, otorhinolaryngological, and orthodontic variables were analyzed. Sleep disorder symptoms were assessed using the Sleep Disturbance Scale for Children questionnaire. All children also underwent teleradiography exams and Rickett's and Jarabak's cephalometric analyses. Results The mild and moderate/severe obstructive sleep apnea groups showed no significant differences in clinical criteria. Facial depth angle, based on Ricketts cephalometric analysis, was significantly different between the groups (p= 0.010), but this measurement by itself does not express the child's growth pattern, as it is established by the arithmetic mean of the differences between the obtained angles and the normal values of five cephalometric measurements. Conclusions The clinical criteria and craniofacial characteristics evaluated did not influence the disease severity.

Managing obstructive sleep apnoea in children: the role of craniofacial morphology

Obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome is a type of sleep-disordered breathing that affects 1 to 5% of all children. Pharyngeal and palatine tonsil hypertrophy is the main predisposing factor. Various abnormalities are predisposing factors for obstructive sleep apnoea, such as decreased mandibular and maxillary lengths, skeletal retrusion, increased lower facial height and, consequently, increased total anterior facial height, a larger cranio-cervical angle, small posterior airway space and an inferiorly positioned hyoid bone. The diagnosis is based on the clinical history, a physical examination and tests confirming the presence and severity of upper airway obstruction. The gold standard test for diagnosis is overnight polysomnography. Attention must be paid to identify the craniofacial characteristics. When necessary, children should be referred to orthodontists and/or sleep medicine specialists for adequate treatment in addition to undergoing an adenotonsillectomy.

Avaliações tegumentares esqueléticas e dentárias do perfil facial / Tegumentary, skeletal and dental evaluation of the facial profile

O propósito do presente estudo foi avaliar, radiograficamente, a relação entre lábios, pogônio mole, maxila, mandíbula e incisivos em perfil facial equilibrado. Foram avaliados 30 brasileiros do gênero feminino, entre 19 e 31 anos de idade, dos quais foram obtidas telerradiografias em norma lateral, na posição natural da cabeça orientada. A análise cefalométrica foi realizada avaliando-se o nariz, os lábios e o pogônio mole em relação à vertical verdadeira que passa pelo ponto subnasal (SnV), a maxila e a mandíbula em relação à base do crânio e os incisivos em relação às suas bases ósseas. Os resultados demonstraram que o lábio superior se apresentou ligeiramente à frente da linha SnV, o lábio inferior se posicionou sobre a linha e o pogônio mole atrás da mesma. Já a maxila se apresentou ligeiramente protruída enquanto a mandíbula encontrou-se bem posicionada em relação à base do crânio, deste modo, a relação maxilomandibular se mostrou um pouco aumentada. Embora os incisivos superiores tenham apresentado inclinações normais, os inferiores se encontraram ligeiramente vestibularizados. Foram também, observadas correlações positivas estatisticamente significativas ente: o comprimento mandibular e a projeção do lábio inferior, a projeção do pogônio duro e a projeção do pogônio mole, a relação maxilomandibular e a relação labial no sentido ântero-posterior, a projeção dos lábios e a projeção do pogônio mole. Foi observada ainda, correlação negativa estatisticamente significante entre: a inclinação do incisivo inferior e a projeção do lábio inferior, a inclinação do incisivo inferior e a projeção do pogônio mole