Upper airway dimensions in patients with craniocervical junction malformations with and without sleep apnea. A pilot case-control study.

Objective: Patients with craniocervical junction malformations (CCJM) tend to suffer more frequently from sleep respiratory disturbances, which are more frequent and severe in patients with basilar invagination. Here we evaluate if patients with CCJM and sleep respiratory disorders (SRD) present smaller airway dimensions than patients without SRD.

Method: Patients with CCCM with and without sleep respiratory disturbances were evaluated clinically by Bindal's score, modified Mallampati classification, full-night polysomnography and upper airway cone beam tomography.