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Ultrasonographic measurement of the diaphragm thickness in patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome

  • Sleep Breathing Physiology and Disorders • Original Article
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Abstract

Purpose

The aim of this study was to evaluate the diaphragm thickness in patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS).

Methods

This prospective study included patients who underwent polysomnography evaluation for the first time with a clinical suspicion of OSAS. All patients underwent polysomnographic evaluation with a 55-channel Alice 6 computerized system (Respironics; Philips, IL). Diaphragm thickness was measured as the distance between the peritoneum and the pleura using electronic calipers with a 7–12-MHz linear probe (PHILIPS EPIQ 5G).

Results

A total of 108 patients (67 males, 41 females) were enrolled in the current study. The mean age of the patients was 48.92 ± 11.47 years. The diaphragm thicknesses were significantly higher in OSAS patients both at end-inspirium and end-expirium compared with the normal group (p < 0.05). No significant difference was observed regarding the change level and thickening ratio (%) (p > 0.05). When the patients were allocated into OSAS subtypes; diaphragm thicknesses at the end of inspirium and expirium on both sides were significantly higher in the severe OSAS group and OSAS+OHS group compared with the other groups of normal, mild OSAS, and moderate OSAS subgroups (p < 0.05 for all). There was no significant difference between the groups regarding the thickening ratio (p > 0.05 for all). There was a positive correlation between the severity of OSAS and diaphragm thickness.

Conclusion

Diaphragm thickness seems to be increased in OSAS patients and the thickness correlates with the severity of OSAS. However, the thickness ratio of OSAS patients does not differ from that of normal subjects.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Medicine, Department of Pulmonary Diseases, Gaziosmanpaşa University, Tokat, Turkey

    Ahmet Cemal Pazarlı & Handan İnönü Köseoğlu

  2. Faculty of Medicine, Department of Radiology, Gaziosmanpaşa University, Tokat, Turkey

    Zafer Özmen

  3. Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation, Istanbul Gedik University, Istanbul, Turkey

    Timur Ekiz

Authors
  1. Ahmet Cemal Pazarlı
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  2. Zafer Özmen
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  3. Handan İnönü Köseoğlu
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  4. Timur Ekiz
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Correspondence to Ahmet Cemal Pazarlı.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki Declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

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Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

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Pazarlı, A.C., Özmen, Z., İnönü Köseoğlu, H. et al. Ultrasonographic measurement of the diaphragm thickness in patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome. Sleep Breath 24, 89–94 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11325-019-01931-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11325-019-01931-2

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