Clinical Application of Ultrasound in Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Clinical Application of Ultrasound in Obstructive Sleep Apnea

We hypothesize the width air-colum of retropalatal region and tongue voulme by ultrsound through submental area is different between normal control with those with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome who was comfirmed by polysomography.

Patients with obstructive sleep apnea mainly due to upper airway narrowing are evaluated conventionaly by polysomography. Recently, the magnetic resonace imaging has been well established in evaluating upper airway and correlating with the severity by tongue mass and the area of retropalatal airway. However, some drawbacks of MRI includes expensiveness might lead its less use. As for ultrasound which is very popularly applied in medical illness, is more convenient and money saving than MRI. We propose that ultrsound measuring the tongue volume and width of upper airway through submental area may be a alternative image for a upper airway measuring.

Inclusion Criteria:

• group of sleep apnea: patients who have been diagnosed as having obstructive sleep apnea
• control group: patients who have a negative polysomogrphy or a normal score of Pittsburg sleep questionaire

Exclusion Criteria:

• Less than 18-year-old
• un-willing
• not co-operated person