RHINOLOGY 

Otorinolaringologia 2012 March;62(1):33-8

Copyright © 2012 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: English

Obstructive sleep apnea: what a rhinologist should know

Ulualp S. O.

Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA

Obstructive sleep apnea is a complex disorder with myriad clinical consequences requiring multidisciplinary evaluation. Early diagnosis and treatment of obstructive sleep apnea is critical for timely treatment, prevention of complications, and decreasing the negative impact of the disease on the individual and society. The underlying mechanisms of obstructive sleep apnea are complex and involve pathologies that cause airway obstruction at multi sites. The role of nasal structures in obstructive sleep apnea has been increasingly investigated and rhinologists are commonly asked to evaluate patients with obstructive sleep apnea. The aim of this review was to provide an overview of the rhinologic perspective of existing literature on mechanisms, diagnosis, and treatment of nasal pathologies causing obstructive sleep apnea.