Role of magnetic resonance imaging cephalometry in obstructive sleep apnoea.

BACKGROUND Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is one of the most common public health problems in adults. Patients with OSA are prone for excessive adipose tissue deposition in the neck, which in turn, increases the upper airway narrowing. Of the imaging modalities available for assessing the upper airway, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is found to be useful technique for defining soft tissue abnormalities. METHODS We prospectively studied 50 patients presenting with OSA and 50 normal controls to evaluate the role of MRI cephalometry in the diagnosis of OSA and compared the cross-sectional area and antero-posterior diameter of the upper airway in the retro-palatal airway and retro-glossal areas by MRI cephalometry. RESULTS In comparison with controls, cases had a significantly lower cross-sectional area and antero-posterior diameter of the upper airway in the retro-palatal airway and retro-glossal areas. CONCLUSIONS Our observations suggest that MRI cephalometry is a sensitive technique for the diagnosis of OSA.