[Comparative cephalometric study in patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS), simple snorers and controls].

Lateral cranial teleradiography was carried out in 106 subjects, including obese and non-obese patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) and obese and non-obese healthy snorers and controls. In the OSAS patients alone, the hyoid bone occupied an abnormally low position, which pushed the tongue into a more vertical position. OSAS patients had the most voluminous soft tissues, followed by simple snorers and controls. Soft tissue volume generally was related with obesity. The pharyngeal airway space was widest in controls, intermediate in snores and narrowest in OSAS patients, except in the hypopharynx, where airway dimensions were similar in all the patients studied.