VIDEORADIOGRAPHY OF PATIENTS WITH HABITUAL SNORING AND OR SLEEP-APNEA- TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION AND PRESENTATION OF VIDEORADIOGRAPHIC RESULTSDURING SLEEP CONCERNING OCCURRENCE OF APNEA, TYPE OF APNEA, AND SITE OF OBSTRUCTION/

Purpose: The videoradiographic examination described was designed for habitual snorers and sleep apnea syndrome (SAS) patients and was perfo rmed during wakefulness and sleep. During wakefulness the purpose was to reveal any dysfunction in deglutition and speech as well as morphol ogic abnormalities. The purpose during sleep, which usually: was induc ed by low-dose midazolam intravenously, was to reveal the site and for m of obstruction in obstructive sleep apnea patients and the site of s noring in habitual snorers. Material: The preoperative results of 104 patients are presented. In 57 patients who had apneas, the occurrence and type of apnea could be determined. Results and Conclusion: A conti nuous recording over some minutes gave a rough estimate of the degree of SAS and mean duration of apnea. Although much information on SAS ca n be obtained by this method, it cannot replace polygraphic sleep reco rding in the investigation of habitual snorers and SAS patients. Howev er, these 2 methods are complementary and can be performed simultaneou sly as polygraphic videoradiography.