Measurement of Pharyngeal Volume by Digitized Magnetic Resonance Imaging: Effect of Nasal Continuous Positive Airway Pressure
- 31 August 1989
- journal article
- research article
- Published by American Thoracic Society in American Review of Respiratory Disease
- Vol. 140 (3) , 717-723
- https://doi.org/10.1164/ajrccm/140.3.717
Abstract
Pharyngeal size is thought to play an important role in the pathogenesis of snoring and obstructive sleep apnea. It has been hypothesized that nasal continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) works by enlarging pharyngeal size and splinting the airway open. In this study, we selected 12 heavy snorers and abolished their snoring with nasal CPAP in our sleep laboratory. Using mangetic resonance imaging and a computer program utilizing a digitizing pad, we measured these awake sunjects'' pharyngeal volumes without and with the nasal CPAP apparatus on at the level used to abolish their snoring. We found an average 27.7% increase in pharyngeal volume with nasal CPAP. We have visually shown an increase in pharyngeal size with the use of nasal CPAP in a cohort of heavy snorers.This publication has 6 references indexed in Scilit:
- Effect of Nasal Airway Positive Pressure on Upper Airway Size and ConfigurationAmerican Review of Respiratory Disease, 1988
- Transesophageal Pacing in Atrial FlutterChest, 1987
- Reversal of Central Sleep Apnea Using Nasal CPAPChest, 1986
- Positive Nasal Airway Pressure Eliminates Snoring As Well As Obstructive Sleep ApneaChest, 1984
- Fluoroscopic and Computed Tomographic Features of the Pharyngeal Airway in Obstructive Sleep Apnea1–3American Review of Respiratory Disease, 1983
- Airway area by acoustic reflections measured at the mouthJournal of Applied Physiology, 1980