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Objective versus subjective measurements of palatine tonsil size in adult patients with obstructive sleep apnea/hypopnea syndrome

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Abstract

The objective of this study was to evaluate the relationship between subjective and objective tonsil size measurements in adult patients with obstructive sleep apnea/hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS) and compare the tonsil size measurements with the severity of disease. Fifty-one adult patients (46 males and 5 females) who failed continuous positive airway pressure therapy and underwent OSAHS surgery were recruited. Physical examinations, subjective tonsil size grading preoperatively, and objective tonsil measurements including size (length, width, and height), weight and volume immediately after surgery were recorded. The results showed significant positive correlations between subjective tonsil size grading and all the parameters of the objective tonsil measurements (p < 0.05). When comparing the subjective and objective tonsil measurements with the polysomnographic parameters, the subjective grading was significantly correlated with snoring index (p < 0.05) but showed only borderline correlation with apnea/hypopnea index. However, the objective tonsil measurements were significantly correlated with both snoring index and apnea/hypopnea index (both p < 0.05). Although the subjective tonsil size grading reflected the objective tonsil measurements, the objective tonsil measurements were more meaningful in predicting the severity of OSAHS.

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank Drs. Mao-Chang Su and Chien-Hung Chin for their assistance in manuscript preparation. This study was supported by grants CMRPG8A0041 awarded by the Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taiwan.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Laryngology, Department of Otolaryngology, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung, Taiwan

    Chi-Chih Lai, Hsin-Ching Lin & Cheng-Ming Hsu

  2. Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA

    Michael Friedman

  3. Department of Otolaryngology, Advanced Center for Specialty Care, Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA

    Michael Friedman & Sreeya Yalamanchali

  4. Sleep Center, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung, Taiwan

    Hsin-Ching Lin, Meng-Chih Lin & Yung-Che Chen

  5. Department of Otolaryngology, Cathay General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan

    Pa-Chun Wang

  6. Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung, Taiwan

    Meng-Chih Lin & Yung-Che Chen

  7. Department of Otolaryngology, Sleep Center, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, 123, Ta-Pei Rd., Niao-Sung District, Kaohsiung, 833, Taiwan

    Hsin-Ching Lin

Authors
  1. Chi-Chih Lai
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  2. Michael Friedman
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  3. Hsin-Ching Lin
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  4. Pa-Chun Wang
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  5. Cheng-Ming Hsu
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  6. Sreeya Yalamanchali
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  7. Meng-Chih Lin
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  8. Yung-Che Chen
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Correspondence to Hsin-Ching Lin.

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Lai, CC., Friedman, M., Lin, HC. et al. Objective versus subjective measurements of palatine tonsil size in adult patients with obstructive sleep apnea/hypopnea syndrome. Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol 271, 2305–2310 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00405-014-2944-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00405-014-2944-3

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