The CT evaluations of oro and hypopharyngeal modifications in patients with sleep apnea syndrome

CT helps in understanding pathophysiology of Sleep Apnea Syndrome. CT is widely available and allows measurements throat by sagittal sections, allowing precise evaluation of transverse sectional area of the respiratory track. Possibility of three-dimensional reconstruction of axial images to assess volumetric throat. In other news CT allows a high spatial and temporal resolution in dynamic imaging can. Our study is based on a group of patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome of varying degree to which the diagnostic polysomnographic examination was completed by: pharingoscopy flexible and rigid and computed tomography to assess how changes in oral and Realistic hypopharingyeal involved in the development SAOS. During the study measurements were made of transverse sectional area and volume of respiratory track and three-dimensional reconstruction, with development of multiplane images which provide information on soft tissue. Size was studied respiratory track structures (tongue, soft palate, throat fat pad) in patients with SAOS. CT imaging studies showed differences in the structures of the soft palate in patients with SAOS. In fact, these studies showed an increase in transverse sectional area and volume of tongue soft palate, parapharyngeal fat support, lateral pharyngeal wall in patients with sleep apnea. It can thus be concluded that static imaging methods are useful for studying the anatomical levels of obstruction, but to have an overview of the pathophysiology of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome SAOS, dynamic studies are essential