To examine the diagnostic value of hyoid cephalometrics in predicting retroglossal obstruction severity in patients with obstructive sleep apnoea hypopnea syndrome.

Ninety-six obstructive sleep apnoea hypopnea syndrome patients diagnosed by polysomnography were recruited. Polysomnography was repeated with a nasopharyngeal tube after eliminating rhinal and palatopharyngeal obstruction. Cervical vertebra lateral films and hyoid cephalometric measurements were obtained, including the distances of the hyoid to the: mental tubercle, prevertebral plane, mental tubercle coronal plane and mental tubercle horizontal plane.

The apnoea-hypopnoea index for nasopharyngeal tube polysomnography was significantly correlated with distances from the hyoid to: prevertebral plane (r = 0.350), coronal plane (r = 0.477), horizontal plane (r = 0.529) and mental tubercle (r = 0.560). It was strongly correlated with the hyoid to mental tubercle distance/hyoid to prevertebral plane distance value (r = 0.683), and (hyoid to coronal plane distance plus hyoid to horizontal plane distance)/hyoid to prevertebral plane distance value (r = 0.675).

Obstructive sleep apnoea hypopnea syndrome patients with longer hyoid to mental tubercle distances, and/or more inferior and posterior hyoid bone position, are more prone to retroglossal stenosis and obstruction. Hyoid cephalometrics are valuable for predicting retroglossal obstruction severity.

Head and face dimensions vary according to race and geographical zone. Hereditary factors also greatly affect the size and shape of the head. There are important medical applications of craniofacial data specific to different racial and ethnic groups.

Various cranial and facial anthropometric parameters were assessed in singleton, healthy, full-term newborns of Sikkimese origin in a tertiary care hospital in Sikkim, India. The data were then analysed to determine statistically significant differences between sexes.

Forty-five newborns were included in the study. Both male and female newborns were observed to be hyperbrachycephalic and hyperleptoprosopic. The only significant difference between the sexes was in commissural length, which was observed to be greater in male newborns.

Craniofacial parameters in Sikkimese newborns vary in comparison with those of other newborns from around the world. Larger studies are needed in order to reveal sex-related variations. Similar studies on various racial groups in North-East India are needed to establish standards for populations with East Asian features.

Obstructive sleep apnoea has long been recognised as a clinical syndrome; however, high quality evidence on the effects of surgery for this condition is still missing. Despite this, a consensus seems to be evolving, albeit based on limited evidence, that surgery should be offered as a second line treatment to suitable patients with obstructive sleep apnoea.

This article aims to assess the different methods of investigating upper airway obstruction in patients with obstructive sleep apnoea, in respect to these methods' relevance to surgical treatment, via a systematic review of the literature.

The Cochrane Controlled Trials Register, Medline and EMBASE were searched from 1966 onwards. The search was performed in August 2008. A total of 2001 citations were retrieved.

There is not yet a generally accepted way to assess surgical candidacy based on the level of obstruction. Better organised clinical studies with well defined endpoints are needed. In the meanwhile, it appears that sleep nasendoscopy, acoustic reflectometry and pressure catheters can all provide useful information, and their use may be decided upon based on the experience and resources available in individual departments.