Craniofacial morphology in children with sleep disordered breathing

AIM: Obstructive sleep disordered breathing (SDB) is common in children. The aim of this study was to describe the differences in craniofacial morphology between children with obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) and those with SDB (oral breathing, primary snoring and upper airway resistance syndrome). MATERIAL AND METHOD: Lateral cephalograms of 14 Caucasian subjects (mean age: 5.3 ± 1.13 years) with a polysomnographic diagnosis of OSA were traced and compared with lateral cephalograms of 12 Caucasian subjects (mean age: 5.6 ± 1.23 years) with a polysomnographic diagnosis of SDB. The following variables were measured: SNA, SNB, NL^NSL, ML^NSL and NSBa. A two-tailed Student’s t-test was used to compare the measurements. RESULTS: According to the floating norms cephalometric analysis, both groups had an orthognathic face type. No statistically signifi cant differences between the two groups were found. However, SNB in OSA children was decreased when compared with the same angle in SDB patients. CONCLUSION: The non-signifi cant differences in the cephalometric variables between the OSA and SDB groups, may be due to the young age of the sample. The results suggest that mandibular retrognathism is more evident in OSA patients compared with SDB patients, who show a higher value for mandibular inclination angle.