ABSTRACT
Sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) affects more than 4% of the adult population with
an even higher prevalence within high-risk groups. Nasal continuous positive air pressure,
although considered the current gold standard treatment for SDB, demonstrates poor
patient compliance. Alternative therapies, such as palatal surgeries and airway orthotics,
lack validated candidacy selection protocols, resulting in varying success rates.
Although much has been published over the last several years regarding the effect
of these therapies on the upper airway, no publication has presented an accounting
of the use of acoustic reflection (AR) to evaluate airway characteristics pre- and
post-treatment with these alternative therapies. This article will review AR and our
current knowledge base of the pathological airway characteristics that can be assessed
through AR. It will include the advantages, limitations, and potential clinical usefulness
of this diagnostic modality in the treatment of patients with SDB.
KEYWORDS
Nasal patency - pharyngeal patency - acoustic reflection - palatal surgery - airway
orthotic - obstructive sleep apnea
