Chest
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Chest
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A lower (more caudal) position of the larynx may result in a longer collapsible segment of the upper airway. One could thus hypothesize that the lower the larynx the greater the risk for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). To test this hypothesis, we measured the upper airway length to the level of the vocal cord and the horizontal and vertical segments of the supralaryngeal vocal cord tract (SVT) using multislice CT scan in Japanese patients with OSA. ⋯ The laryngeal position is lower in men than women. Aging is associated with a lower laryngeal position, and a longer ALVC is independently associated with OSA severity in Japanese patients. We conclude that both laryngeal descent and BMI may be risk factors for OSA.