. Imit P. Saluja; . Ananya Bhargava; . Apoorva Bhargava; . Darshan R. Prasad Hiremutt; . Shobhit Saxena; . Anagha Agrawal
Volume 12, Issue 10 , November 2022, , Pages 1-6
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a sleep disorder characterized by intermittentcomplete and partial airway collapse, resulting in frequent episodes of apnea and hypopnea. ...
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BACKGROUND: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a sleep disorder characterized by intermittentcomplete and partial airway collapse, resulting in frequent episodes of apnea and hypopnea. TheBerlin questionnaire (BQ) is a simple, inexpensive instrument used to screen for OSA, whichis about risk factors for sleep apnea, namely, snoring behavior, daytime sleepiness or fatigue,and the presence of obesity or hypertension. This 10‑question test has since then become wellknown for its accuracy in predicting the presence of sleep apnea in patients. Cephalometry is arelatively inexpensive method and it permits a good assessment of the soft tissue elements thatdefine the soft palate and its surrounding structures. Therefore, the present study aims to studythe morphology of the soft palate using lateral cephalometry and classify it into various types.And to identify the individuals with OSA syndrome through a particular type of soft palate andcorrelate it with the BQ.MATERIAL AND METHODS: This prospective study was conducted in the Department of OralMedicine and Radiology of D.Y.Patil Dental College, Pune. About 150 subjects for the study wereselected by random sampling from the outpatient department of Oral Medicine and Radiology andthe patients were referred from the orthodontics department. Lateral cephalograms were assessedfor soft palate morphology types, and all participants filled the BQ. A Chi‑square test was applied.The level of significance was set at P < 0.05.RESULTS: Among six types of the soft palate, the maximum number of participants had type 2(rat‑tail type) of the soft palate (26.0%). A highly significant association was found between theBQ (positive and negative response) and soft palate morphology types (i.e., P < 0.01). A maximumnumber of participants who responded to the BQ had type 5 (S type) of the soft palate (76.47%).CONCLUSION: The type 2 (rat‑tail) soft palate was the most frequent type, while the type 4 (straight‑line)shape was the least common among all the six types. The persons with type 5 (S‑shape) soft palateresponded more positively to the BQ as compared to other types of soft palate. This shows that aparticular type of soft palate could be responsible for causing OSA syndrome.CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Lateral cephalogram and BQ, which are relatively inexpensive andwidely available, can be used in resource‑limited and thickly populated countries like India to correctlyidentify patients with OSA syndrome.