Measurements of normal upper airway assessed by 3-dimensional computed tomography in Chinese children and adolescents.

OBJECTIVE

To establish normative data of upper airway dimensions in Chinese children and adolescents by age and sex.

METHODS

CT-scans of 281 Chinese children and adolescents (140 girls, 141 boys) aged from 6 to 18 years (yr) were selected among the patients who visited in Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery from September 2009 to August 2010. Child was defined as 6-12 yr, and adolescent as 13-18 yr. All the subjects were divided into 4 groups according to age as 6-9, 10-12, 13-15 and 16-18. The upper airway was divided into four distinct anatomic regions: the nasopharynx, the palatopharynx, the glossopharynx and the epiglottic region. Using 3-dimension image processing software, the minimal cross-sectional area with its sagittal diameter and transversal diameter, length and volume of upper airway segmentations were measured.

RESULTS

There was no difference in all parameters of segmentations between genders in children. In adolescents the differences of airway parameters were evident between genders. Male adolescents' upper airway were bigger and longer than female's. Volumes and lengths of segmentations were increased with age in male and female respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Norms for upper airway in Chinese children and adolescents assessed by 3-D reconstruction computed tomography have been established. Volume and other dimension of upper airway are increased with age. Significant sex dimorphisms in upper airway dimension are evident in adolescents.