Abstract
The results from our clinic of dynamic MR1 for the positional diagnosis of airway obstruction during snoring and sleep apnea and treatment by midline laser glossectomy are reported.
During the past year and 5 months, dynamic MRI and overnight monitoring were performed on 58 patients who complained of snoring and symptoms related to the sleep apnea syndrome at the Second Hospital of the Fujita Health University. Of these 58 patients; 33 exhibited a collapse at the position of the soft palate as diagnosed by dynamic MRI; 19 exhibited a collapse at the position of the soft palate as well as the tongue ; 6 exhibited a collapse of the palatine tonsils ; but none exhibited a collapse at the position of the tongue tonsils or epiglottis.
The authors found that dynamic MRI was useful for the positional diagnosis of collapses caused by snoring and the sleep apnea syndrome.
Midline laser glossectomy was performed on 6 patients exhibiting a sleep apnea syndrome caused by a collapse at the position of the tongue tonsils. Based on the Apnea Hypopnea Index (AHI) of the 6 patients, 2 showed a marked improvement after the treatment ; 2 showed some improvement ; 1 showed a slight improvement, and 1 showed no improvement.
