Obstructive Sleep Apnea Hypopnea Syndrome

Sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) describes a group of disorders characterized by a disturbance in normal respiratory pattern during sleep. Those related to increased upper airway resistance include snoring, respiratory effort related arousals (RERA), upper airway resistance syndrome (UARS), and sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is defined simply as a cessation of airflow for 10 or more seconds; however, there are a number of types based on etiology. Obstructive sleep apnea–hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS) is a type of sleep apnea in which there is interrupted breathing during sleep due to collapse of the airway when the pharyngeal and tongue muscles relax resulting in an obstructive event. CBCT imaging may be used on the evaluation of sinus anatomy and pathology, the relationship between upper airway and dentomaxillofacial morphology, effects of surgical-orthodontic treatment, the relationship between upper airway and obstructive sleep apnea, and upper airway evaluation in normal subjects.