The relationship between upper airway collapse and the severity of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome: a chart review

We sought to determine the ability of the endoscopic Mueller maneuver (MM) to predict the severity of OSAS based on upper airway (UA) collapse. This chart review retrospectively analyzed the results of endoscopic Mueller maneuvers examining the UA on 506 patients suspected of having OSAS. There were 3 areas of UA collapse that were evaluated: velopharynx (VP), base of tongue (BOT), and lateral pharyngeal walls (LPW). A sleep study was done after the examination to assess the severity of OSAS based on the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI). A total of 506 patients met criteria for OSAS, with 194 mild cases (5 ≤ AHI