Are reduced internal nasal dimensions a risk factor for obstructive sleep apnea syndrome?

Respiratory sleep disorders, nasal obstruction and enuresis in children with non-syndromic Pierre Robin sequence

“… 40 Several studies have indicated a relationship between nasal obstruction and a higher risk of RSD. 10 , 12 In this regard, signs of nasal obstruction have been reported in up to 50% of patients diagnosed with OSA, 9 with nasal obstruction being associated to a higher occurrence of OSA, 13 , 16 although a recent study conducted in 2020 14 did not identify a relationship between nasal dimensions (area and volume) and OSA severity.…”

“… 10 The relationship between the nasal obstruction intensity and greater severity and occurrence of OSA, however, remains controversial. 13 , 14 Patients with cleft palate have smaller internal nasal and pharyngeal dimensions, constituting a special group, when associated with PRS, since they have significant retrognathia. Thus, patients with PRS show morphological alterations that increase the risk of OSA at different stages of life.…”

Assessment of the internal nasal dimensions of individuals with cleft lip and/or palate and obstructive sleep apnea by computed tomography

“…The rationale for the study is that previous research has indicated a possible association between nasal obstruction and increased risk for OSA. 4,[7][8][9] Studies conducted at the Physiology Laboratory of HRAC have shown that patients with CL/P have smaller internal nasal dimensions. [24][25][26] Thus, the initial hypothesis of the present study was that patients with CL/P would have smaller internal nasal dimensions, compared to a control group of patients with apnea without CL/P; also, that these smaller nasal dimensions would be associated with greater OSA severity.…”

“…Figure 3 -The CL/P+OSA group (blue computer-aided design geometries, [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11] did not present a statistically significant different volume than the N-CL/P+OSA group (pink geometries, [12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24], as described in Table 3. However, nasal cavities geometries showed a widely variable interindividual morphology, especially among those with CL/P+OSA.…”

“…The risk factors for this sleep-disordered breathing include the following: obesity, craniofacial malformations, hypothyroidism, male gender and individuals over 60 years of age. [3][4][5] Its etiopathogenesis is multifactorial, especially involving anatomical characteristics, which can lead to mechanical obstruction of the upper airway (UA). [6][7][8] Individuals with OSA often present nasal obstruction.…”