A comparison of minimal cross sectional areas, nasal volumes and peak nasal inspiratory flow between patients with obstructive sleep apnea and healthy controls

The differences in nasal geometry and function between OSA patients and healthy individuals are not known. Our aim was to evaluate the differences in nasal geometry and function using acoustic rhinometry (AR) and peak nasal inspiratory flow (PNIF) between an OSA population and healthy controls. The study was designed as a prospective case-control study. Ninety-three OSA patients and 92 controls were enrolled from 2010 to 2015. The minimal cross-sectional area (MCA) and the nasal cavity volume (NCV) in two parts of the nose (MCA0-3/NCV0-3 and MCA3-5.2/NCV3-5.2) and PNIF were measured at baseline and after decongestion. The mean MCA0-3 in the OSA group was 0.49 cm2; compared to 0.55 cm2 in controls. The mean NCV0-3 correspondingly was 2.51 cm3 compared to 2.73 cm3 in controls. PNIF measured 105 litres/minute in the OSA group and 117 litres/minute in the controls. OSA patients have a lower minimum cross-sectional area, nasal cavity volume and peak inspiratory flow compared to controls. Our study supports the view that changes in the nasal cavity may contribute to development of OSA.