A case--control study of craniofacial features of children with obstructed sleep apnea

Abstract

Objective: This study aims to analyze differences in the skeletal, dental, and soft tissue components of craniofacial structure predisposing to the pediatric obstructive sleep apnea, by a comparison of the cephalograms between children with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and controls.

Materials and methods: The study enrolled a total of 30 children who were composed of the following two groups: 15 OSA patients and 15 controls. The two groups were strictly matched by age and sex. Lateral head radiographs were obtained and then cephalometric measurements were compared between the two. Fifty-six measurements were determined to study various skeletal, soft tissue, and airway structure.

Results: Marked differences were demonstrated in terms of SNB, PG-NB, lower facial height, H-C3Me, and adenoid (A) and tonsil (T/P). The SNB angle (75.82 ± 4.30) in case group was smaller than in the control (78.71 ± 2.61; p = 0.035), the PG/NB value in case group (1.32 ± 0.84 mm) was higher than that in the control (0.62 ± 0.60 mm; p = 0.015). The anterior lower facial height was 65.12 ± 5.91 mm in case group (p = 0.048), while the anterior lower facial height in control was 61.51 ± 3.22 mm. The position of hyoid was lower in case group (5.30 ± 3.67 mm) compared with the control one (2.64 ± 2.58 mm; p = 0.029). Furthermore, the patients with OSA had larger As and T/Ps than the controls.

Conclusions: The case group differed from the control group in the length of mandible, anterior lower facial height, position of hyoid and the chin, and the size of the As and T/Ps.