Three-dimensional computed tomographic analysis of airway anatomy

Zachary R Abramson; Srinivas Susarla; James R Tagoni; Leonard Kaban

doi:10.1016/j.joms.2009.09.086

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Three-dimensional computed tomographic analysis of airway anatomy

Journal article

Peer reviewed

Three-dimensional computed tomographic analysis of airway anatomy

Zachary R Abramson, Srinivas Susarla, James R Tagoni and Leonard Kaban

Journal of oral and maxillofacial surgery, Vol.68(2), pp.363-371

02/01/2010

DOI: 10.1016/j.joms.2009.09.086

PMID: 20116709

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Abstract

To test the reliability of a 3-dimensional computed tomographic (3D-CT) analysis of airway size and shape and to correlate the 3D-CT findings with lateral cephalometric measurements. Fifteen pairs of preoperative maxillofacial 3D-CT scans and digital lateral cephalograms of patients treated for obstructive sleep apnea were used in the present study. Digital 3D-CT reconstructions were created and 12 measurements of airway size and 4 of shape were analyzed. The posterior airway space (PAS), middle airway space, and hyoid to mandibular plane distances were measured on the cephalograms. We then randomly selected 5 CT scans and 5 cephalograms which were analyzed blindly on 5 separate occasions by 2 investigators (Z.A., J.T.) to establish the intraclass correlation coefficients for inter- and intraexaminer reliability. All 15 pairs of images were used to compute the Pearson correlation coefficients to establish the relationship between the CT and cephalometric measurements. The intra- and interexaminer reliabilities were high for all CT (0.86 to 1.0 and 0.89 to 1.0, respectively; P < .001) and cephalometric measurements (0.84 to 1.0 and 0.91 to 0.99, respectively; P < .001). The CT measurements retroglossal anteroposterior dimension and distance between the genial tubercle and hyoid exhibited a positive correlation with the PAS (r = .60, P = 02 and r = .54, P = .04, respectively), and the lateral/anteroposterior dimension demonstrated an inverse correlation (r = -.68, P = .01) with the PAS. The results of the present study indicate that the 3D-CT and lateral cephalometric measurements we selected are reliable and reproducible. The only cephalometric measurement that exhibited any correlation with the CT parameters was PAS.

Cephalometry

Computer Simulation

Epiglottis - diagnostic imaging

Epiglottis - pathology

Female

Humans

Hyoid Bone - diagnostic imaging

Hyoid Bone - pathology

Imaging, Three-Dimensional

Male

Observer Variation

Palate, Hard - diagnostic imaging

Palate, Hard - pathology

Palate, Soft - diagnostic imaging

Palate, Soft - pathology

Pharynx - diagnostic imaging

Pharynx - pathology

Reproducibility of Results

Respiratory System - diagnostic imaging

Respiratory System - pathology

Sleep Apnea, Obstructive - diagnostic imaging

Sleep Apnea, Obstructive - pathology

Tomography, X-Ray Computed

Tongue - diagnostic imaging

Tongue - pathology

Details

Title: Subtitle: Three-dimensional computed tomographic analysis of airway anatomy
Creators: Zachary R Abramson - Massachusetts General Hospital
Srinivas Susarla - Massachusetts General Hospital
James R Tagoni - Massachusetts General Hospital
Leonard Kaban - Massachusetts General Hospital
Resource Type: Journal article
Publication Details: Journal of oral and maxillofacial surgery, Vol.68(2), pp.363-371
DOI: 10.1016/j.joms.2009.09.086
PMID: 20116709
ISSN: 0278-2391
eISSN: 1531-5053
Language: English
Date published: 02/01/2010
Academic Unit: Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery; Hospital Dentistry
Record Identifier: 9984655345402771

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