Patient with obstructive sleep apnoea at the orthodontics practise – case report

Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA) is characterised by at least

five 10-second episodes of apnoea or significant shallow

breathing (hypopnoea), accompanied by a decrease in

oxygen saturation of arterial blood by 2–4% per hour of

sleep, with preserved or intensified respiratory muscle

movements. In men OSA is most often diagnosed after the

age of 40 years, in women – usually after the age of 50

years. The risk group includes patients diagnosed with

being overweight or obese, cardiovascular diseases,

hypertension, hypothyroidism, diabetes, asthma, allergies

or congenital anomalies. Aim. The aim of the work was to

present changes in the anatomy of structures of the facial

skeleton in a 31-year-old orthodontic male patient with

a mild form of sleep apnoea. Material. Material included:

orthodontic records, EPWORTH sleepiness scale filled in

by the patient, gypsum models, photographs (intra- and extraoral photographs) and radiological records (panoramic

radiograph, lateral cephalogram) and results of

polysomnography. Case report. The paper presents a case

of a 31-year-old male patient without systemic diseases

who reported for an orthodontic consultation due to tooth

crowding. The analysis of the orthodontic documentation

revealed a suspicion of sleep apnoea. A polysomnographic

examination confirmed the presence of mild OSA.

Conclusions. The analysis of a lateral cephalogram revealed

changes in the length of the soft palate, width of the upper

respiratory tract and a position of the hyoid bone. The

EPWORTH sleepiness scale indicated the presence of

excessive sleepiness, and the polysomnographic examination

confirmed the occurrence of mild OSA. Sleep apnoea may

affect relatively young people, with a normal body weight

and without any systemic diseases. Therefore orthodontists’

awareness about risk factors and sleep apnoea symptoms

should be used in everyday practice. (Matuszkiewicz A,

Lasota A, Kiernicka K, Dunin-Wilczyńska I. Patient with

obstructive sleep apnoea at the orthodontist’s – case

report. Orthod Forum 2018; 14: 309-20).