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Morphological Assessment of the Soft Palate in Habitual Snoring Using Image Analysis
Author(s) -
Reda Mohamed,
Sims Andrew J.,
Collins Melanie M.,
McKee Gary J.,
Marshall H.,
Kelly Peter J.,
Wilson Janet A.
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
the laryngoscope
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.181
H-Index - 148
eISSN - 1531-4995
pISSN - 0023-852X
DOI - 10.1097/00005537-199910000-00020
Subject(s) - soft palate , palatoplasty , medicine , hard palate , soft tissue , dentistry , orthodontics , deformity , surgery
Objectives: Define differences in palatal and uvular dimensions between habitual snorers and healthy nonsnoring control subjects. Document the changes in palatal configuration after different types of palatoplasty. Study Design: A prospective controlled clinical study was performed analyzing video recordings of the soft palate and oropharynx of 251 subjects (121 habitual snorers, 79 patients after laser‐assisted uvulopalatoplasty ([LAUP], and 51 healthy volunteers). Methods: The recordings were captured using a rigid endoscope with a reference measure applied to the soft palate and a mark at the junction of the soft and hard palate. Four parameters were studied in the captured pictures after correction for the distortion deformity in fiberoptic endoscopic images: 1) length of soft palate, 2) length of uvula, 3) width of uvula, and 4) distance between posterior pillars. Results: Analysis showed that habitual snorers, compared with healthy volunteers have significantly increased soft palate length ( P = .00001), increased uvula length ( P = .0002) and width ( P = .00001), and narrowed oropharyngeal isthmus (distance between the posterior pillars) ( P = .04). In patients studied after LAUP, the length of the soft palate is significantly shorter ( P = .00001) than in the preoperative cohort, and the oropharyngeal isthmus is significantly narrower ( P = .00001). Moreover, this latter distance is significantly narrower ( P = .00001) when compared with healthy volunteers. Conclusions: Habitual snorers have a long soft palate, a long wide uvula, and a narrowed oropharyngeal isthmus. LAUP shortens and tightens the elongated palate and causes a further reduction in the space between the posterior pillars.