Evaluation of Infrared Thermal Imaging in Diagnosis of OSAHS in Children

Evaluation of Infrared Thermal Imaging in Diagnosis of Obstructive Sleep Apnea Hypopnea Syndrome in Children

OSAHS is a common sleep breathing disorder in children, with the same incidence as childhood asthma, and is mainly caused by upper airway stenosis caused by tonsil/adenoid hyperplasia. Clinical findings show that children with OSAHS often present rhinitis symptoms and like rubbing eyes, but there is no evidence to suggest a correlation. Children with OSAHS suffer from recurrent hypoxemia during sleep, and the existing detection methods such as lateral nasopharyngeal radiographs and electronic nasopharyngoscopy can only reflect the structural and morphological changes of the oral, nasal and pharyngeal tissues, but cannot prove their functional status. Previous studies have found that infrared thermal imaging can reflect the oral, nasal and pharyngeal inflammation of patients, and the infrared expression of patients' frontal region and eyes can also reflect the physiological changes caused by sleep deprivation.

In this project, the children were divided into four groups: primary snoring, critical OSAHS, mild OSAHS and moderate to severe OSAHS, and the tests were completed, including lateral nasopharyngeal radiographs, infrared detection of oropharynx and pharynx, infrared detection of frontal area and eye area, intelligence and behavior scale assessment, etc. Furthermore, the correlation between infrared detection and obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea index, peripheral blood oxygen saturation, adenoid hyperplasia degree of nasopharyngeal lateral film as parameters were analyzed, and the sensitivity and specificity of infrared detection was determined to confirm the diagnostic value of OSAHS. It provides a theoretical basis for finding a convenient, non-damaging, non-radiation, visual and suitable for children functional image detection method.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Children ages 2 to 14 with SDB related symptoms

Exclusion Criteria:

• 1) Congenital abnormalities of the nose and throat or airway;

  2) craniofacial deformity

  3) Neuromuscular dysregulation

  4) History of adenoids and/or tonsillectomy.