OBJECTIVETo approach the correlation of upper airway and surrounding tissues with body mass index (BMI) of non-apnea aged males.

METHODSThirty-one non-apnea aged from 70 years to 84 years males (all were inspected by polysomnography and apnea hyponea index < 10 times/hour) had magnetic resonance imaging scanned. In images of MRI, the upper airway was divided into four sections, including nasopharynx, velopharynx, glossopharynx and laryn-gopharynx. The sizes, forms and surrounding tissues were measured and correlation analysis of duality vaniable about upper airway and surrounding tissues with BMI were carried out.

RESULTS(1) The volume of nasopharynx had negative correlation with body mass(P < 0.05). (2) The min anterior-posterior diameter of velopharynx had positive correlation with body mass and BMI. The max value of anterior-posterior diameter/transverse diameter of velopharynx had positive correlation with body mass. The mi value of distance of fatpads had negative correlation with body mass and BMI. The min and average value of distance of ascending ramus had positive correlation with body mass and BMI. The mn value of distance of fatpads/distance of ascending ramus had negative correlation with body mass and BMI. The transverse diameter/lateral velopharyngeal wall of velopharynx had positive correlation with BMI. All of above results had statistic significance (P < 0.05). (3)The volume of soft palate, tongue and fatpads had no correlation with body mass and BMI (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONThe forms of sectional areas of velopharynx are subjected to body mass, and with the increasing of body mass they tend to round. In non-apnea aged males, the distance of fatpads and ascending rami have intimate relationship with body mass and BMI. The volume of soft palate, tongue, tatpads and velopharyngeal walls has little things with hody mass and BMI.