Acoustic Pharyngometry in Normal Adults

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Assessment of the upper airway for possible site of obstruction is one of the keys to a successful management of patients of sleep apnea syndrome. Acoustic pharyngometry has a potential for localizing obstructive sites, so normal standard data was prerequisite for using this equipment. The aim of this study was to measure normal standard data in normal adults with acoustic pharyngometry on sitting, supine, left and right decubitus positions. SUBJECTS AND METHOD: A total number of 120 normal adults were examined by acoustic pharyngometry. RESULTS: Oropharyngeal junctional area was located within 8-11 cm, and glottic area was within 15-18 cm. There was no statistically significant difference in pharyngeal crosssectional area and pharyngeal volumes measured on sitting, supine, left and right decubitus positions (p>0.05). CONCLUSION: Acoustic pharyngometry is easy, rapid and cost-effective and has been shown to be successfully repeatable