Craneofacial Morphology in Children with Obstructive Sleep Apnea

ABSTRACT.  Background: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a Sleep breathing disorder in children associated with facial and skeletal features. Purpose: to identify craniofacial features associated with OSA in Colombian children. Method: 43 children from 6-13 years old were selected for cephalometric measurements. All patients had been studied trough polysomnography. Cases were represented for 19 children with OSA and 24 children without OSA were grouped as controls, and lateral radiographs were taken. Cephalometric variables analyzed were: anteroposterior cranial length (SN), skeletal classification (ANB), effective mandibular and maxillary length (Co-Pg) (Co-A), sagittal position of maxillary and mandible (N┴A) (N┴Pg), mandibular plane angle (FH-PM), Ricketts growth axis angle (Ba-N/Ptm-Gn), upper and lower pharynx and hyoid Bone position (HPM). Results : 84.2 % of children with OSA showed a decrease in the length of cranial base compared with 58.3 % of children without OSA (p = 0.067; OR=3.81 95 % CI 0.87- 16.7). The superior bone hyoid position is associated with absence of OSA (OR = 0.26 95 % CI 0.87 to 16.7.) Conclusions: these results suggest trends to relation between length of cranial base and bone hyoid position e and the presence of OSA in children.