Craniofacial differences according to the body mass index of patients withobstructive sleep apnoea syndrome: cephalometric study in 85 patients

We examined the craniofacial characteristics of patients with obstructive s leep apnoea syndrome (OSAS) and correlated them with the body mass index (B MI (weight (kg) * height(m)(2))). Eighty-five men with OSAS diagnosed by co nventional polysomonography were divided into two groups according to their BMI (<30 and <greater than or equal to> =30), Cephalometry was analysed by using 31 measurements of the size of the bone structures, their relationsh ips and the size of the airways. The groups were comparable for age and the apnoea-hypopnoea index (mean 49, standard deviation (SD) 23), Patient with a BMI < 30 had a shorter anterio r floor of cranial base, a smaller mandible and retroposition of the mandib le compared with severly obese patients. These skeletal differences were as sociated with narrower velopharyngeal and linguopharyngeal spaces. This stu dy shows that there is a craniofacial difference between two populations, d ivided according to their BMI. (C) 2001 The British Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons.